Rage Against The Machine
by dudelove85
Summary: All the former rangers wanted was a quiet senior year. Unfortunately King Mondo and the Machine Empire has other ideas and they launch a full scale invasion of Earth. The rangers will have the overcome the odds one more time, all the while avoiding the increasely intrusive actions of a power hungry government agent. Part 3 of the Chronicles of Power series
1. Rage Against The Machine (Part 1)

_Chapter 1 – Rage Against The Machine (Part 1)_

_September 24 1996 – Angel Grove High_

The school year was well under way for the seniors of Angel Grove High. In a few short months they would graduate from high school and take their first steps towards adulthood. Five students looking forward to this prospect were happily chatting away in the main corridor. They all shared a common secret, they were all former Power Rangers. Jason Lee Scott was hoping to open to his own martial arts dojo after graduation and was using his final year at high school to save as much money as possible. With the help of an online business course, he was hoping to get the dojo open soon after graduation.

Next to him were his two long-time friends, Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan. The couple had been together for over a year now and they were still going strong. Both of them had several of the country's top colleges actively wooing them, hoping to add two of America's brightest brains on their list of students.

Finally there was Rocky DeSantos and Adam Park. Since his stint as the red ninja ranger, he had taken a real interest in the ninja arts. He was hoping to gain further training from Sensei Watanabe of the Wind Ninja Academy, with the aim of becoming a teacher at the academy. As an added bonus he would get to spend more time with his girlfriend, Yuri Asagi. Adam was aiming to become a physical instructor and coach after high school. With his current grades, this almost looked like a certainty.

One thing they were all relieved about was that it had been extremely quiet since the defeat of Master Vile. No more running off to battle monsters and various footsoldiers, no more excuses to give to parents when they were late home and no more embarrassing spells to be placed under. Rocky and Adam had even ditched their signature colour of red and black, opting instead for a mixture of blue and green respectively.

"I can't believe that we're in our final year of school", Trini stated.

"I know, it only seems like yesterday we started kindergarten together", Jason replied as he placed his hands on Billy and Trini's shoulders.

"Ah I remember that day", Rocky added wistfully.

"So do I", Adam began, "you had possibly the worse mullet I've ever seen".

"Hey you're one to talk about hair", Rocky shot back as he flicked Adam's long fringe, "when was the last time you had that cut?"

"I'm trying something different", Adam replied as he brushed his hair back. He paused as he saw a familiar face approaching down the hall, "Talking of hair cuts".

Alexander 'Xander' McBride, former government agent with an IQ of 194, walked towards the group of teenagers. Since leaving the employment of the US government, he was using his tech skills in the IT department of Angel Grove High. It was a big step down for him but it was putting food on his table. As part of his new job, he decided to shave off his long hair. He thought that it would give him a more professional look, "Hey guys, Aimi's trying out a new flavour of shake at the Youth Center and she's looking for tasters".

"Will it be better than her PB and J shake?" Jason asked.

Xander laughed, "Hopefully, can't get any worse can it".

"Urgh you've just bought the memory of it back", Rocky joked, "go on then, I'll do anything for free food".

"We know", the others chorus before they shoved the former red ranger out of the door and towards the Youth Center.

_The Moon_

Earth's only natural satellite had been relatively quiet since Rita and Zedd had vacated the Moon Palace, however, today that peace would be shattered. Approaching the Moon was a fleet of fighter ships and several large carriers. One of the larger ships crashed directly into Rita's former palace, crushing it easily.

On the bridge, a female robot looked over the edge to survey the damage, "I really wish you would drive this ship with greater care dear", she stated.

"It was a symbolic gesture Machina my queen", a large rotund robot replied. He was largely blue in colour with a golden crown on top of his head. His name was King Mondo, the feared leader of the Machine Empire. Fresh from conquering the Gamma sector, his fleet had been directed to Earth at the order of the United Alliance of Evil. "That wretched palace was a symbol of Rita and Zedd's pathetic failure to take over this barren rock".

"I'm grateful that Dark Specter gave us the chance to rectify their mistakes", Queen Machina replied.

"And to think he nearly sent that human girl, Andromeda or whatever her name is, instead of us", Mondo blustered.

"As if a human would do something better than a robot could", Machine added with distain.

King Mondo looked over his fleet out in space. He had studied the defences of Earth during the journey and his army was far superior to anything on the planet. He would use a tactic that neither Rita or Zedd had thought of using, attack the planet with the full fleet. The sheer number of fighters would easily overwhelm the humans. Quite why Rita and Zedd had persevered with their one monster at a time tactic was beyond him.

"Klank, Orbus", he called out, after a few moments a tall bulbous robot entered the chamber and he was carrying another much smaller robot.

"Yes my King", Klank replied with a thick Scottish accent.

"Prepare the Quadrafighters and the cogs, we will attack within the hour", Mondo ordered.

"Very good sire", Klank replied before leaving the room. King Mondo once again looked down on Earth, soon he thought, all of this will belong the Machine Empire.

_Angel Grove_

As Jason and the others walked towards the Youth Center from the school, their thoughts continued to revolve around their future plans and the Frankenstein milkshake that Aimi had created for them to taste. Unfortunately they were pulled from their thoughts by the sound of screaming from the distance. Instantly their ranger instincts kicked in and the group raced towards the sound.

Just on the edge of the park, they saw a group of people under attack from a group of creatures in shiny suits. Seeing people in danger, Jason immediately led the others to try and save them. He caught the nearest one in the back with a kick, but when he tried to punch one, his hand bounced straight off. As he rubbed his hand in pain, he barely dodged out the way of the creatures spear, "They're made of metal", he called out of the others.

"An accurate assessment of the situation", Billy replied as he ducked a kick from the robot.

"Erm little help", Rocky choked out as he struggled to get free from the cog, which held his arms in placed. Trini came to his rescue with a roundhouse kick to the cog's head and the force of the blow caused the robot to release it's grip. The former red ranger then followed up with a kick of his own, removing the robots head clean off its body. This though didn't deactivate the cog, instead it still kept coming towards the group.

"This isn't working", Adam began, "Billy can you still use your water ninja powers".

"I think so, I haven't tried in a while", Billy replied as he dodged another cog. Even though the ninja power coins had been destroyed, the teens found that they could still use their ninja form and their elemental power. They couldn't use them for long, as without the regulating power of the coin, it would drain their lifeforce too quickly.

Jason cleared a gap for Billy as the former blue ranger called on the power of water. He fired a water jet into the crowd of cogs, causing them all to short circuit. Billy immediately fell to his knees, exhausted from the effort. "I'm fine", he said to Trini, who had rushed to his aid, "just a little tired".

While all the cogs had been cleared from their vicinity, they could see that others cogs were still terrorising civilians in the park. Jason clenched his fists in anger, "There must be something we can do".

"But what", Rocky began, "without ranger powers we can't do anything".

"If only Zordon was still here", Trini sighed.

Adam snapped his fingers, "Could he have left something at the Command Center?" Adam asked the group, "I mean we didn't get that long to search".

Jason nodded, "It's worth a try", he flashed his communicator at Billy, "will these still work?"

"I think so", Billy replied, "I'm not sure on the range though. Without the Command Center's power they may not be able to get us all the way there".

"Anywhere's better than here", Jason responded and he hit the teleport button on his communicator. The others quickly followed suit and left to search the ruins of the Command Center.

_Youth Center_

Aimi Miyamoto watched in dismay as all her customers fled the Youth Center and the attacking cogs. Ever since Ernie had passed over the management duties to her, business had been booming. Some of her experimental shakes hadn't gone down so well but it was a learning experience. Her instincts told her to go outside and help everyone but she wasn't an agent anymore and anything that she did could be classed as vigilantism. Major Harmon had left her alone for the last six months, she didn't want to do anything to jeopardise that. Unfortunately her niece, Cassie had other ideas, "Cassie what have I told you about raiding that cupboard in the stock room", he cried.

Cassie Chan held two sonic shotguns in her hand, freshly pulled out of the back room. Xander had built a hiding place into the Youth Center's stockroom to hide a lot of the equipment stolen from the Bunker six months ago, including a large cache of weapons. Cassie looked a little sheepish, "I think this can be classed as an emergency Aunt Aimi. Plus if you didn't want me going into that room you wouldn't have told me the passcode".

She threw one of the weapons to Aimi and opened up one of the windows to shoot out from, "I shouldn't have taught you how to fire one either".

"And you definitely shouldn't have told me about what you used to do for the government either", Cassie added as she scored a direct hit on a passing cog.

"If you mother ever comes back she is going to kill me", she muttered under her breath. She admired Cassie's fighting spirit though, even in the face of this large scale invasion. Her thoughts drifted to the former Power Rangers and she wondered how they would be coping. After a couple of moments, it dawned on her that they would probably be out there fighting somewhere. Activating her sonic weapon, she joined Cassie at the window and opened fire on the cogs.

_Desert near the Command Center_

The five former rangers landed in the barren wastelands near the former Command Center. After getting their bearings, they were relieved to see that they weren't too far away. "The ruins should be on the other side of this hill", Billy said to the group.

They walked around the base of the hill and caught sight of the large crater where Master Vile had fallen six months ago. As they looked at this new feature, Trini spoke up, "Guys you may want to take a look at this".

The four boys turned around and looked up to where Trini was pointing. They rubbed their eyes just to make sure they weren't seeing things and then looked again. They were astonished to find that the Command Center had been completely rebuilt. There wasn't even a mark from the explosion that had caused it's destruction.

"I don't believe it", Billy gasped.

"Come on let's take a look", Rocky added as he rushed up the side of the hill. Jason, Billy and Trini smiled as they remembered doing this journey when they had first gotten their powers three years ago. Except that time they were leaving the Command Center, not trying to get inside.

As the group approached the main door it opened automatically, revealing a dark blue corridor. "That's new", Adam said to the others. They followed the corridor until they reached a large blue steel door. Cautiously Jason pushed a button near the door and at first nothing happened. As the group prepared to find another entrance, the door shuddered open.

The teens stepped inside the room and were amazed to see an updated version of the Command Center. The walls were the same colour blue as the main door and there was much more floor space than before. The computer consoles were against the far wall, underneath a blue energy tube. Along the back wall were the seven former ranger suits, preserved for the future. Inside their individual cases were the power weapons and ninja swords for the five main rangers. The white rangers case contained a ninja sword and Saba, the green rangers case held the dragon dagger.

"Who did all this?" Trini asked.

Suddenly a familiar voice and exclamation got their attention, "Ay yi yi intruder alert, intruder alert".

"Alpha?" Jason called out, "Alpha is that you".

"Jason?" Alpha replied hesitantly, the robot then saw the other former rangers, "Trini, Billy, Rocky, Adam you're here".

The group rushed over to Alpha and they all hugged him tightly, "We thought you were gone", Trini cried.

"I was able to escape to a safe part of the Command Center, here to be precise", Alpha replied.

"What is this place", Billy asked.

"Welcome to the Power Chamber, it's a room that only appears in the event of an emergency", Alpha began. "A sort of back up if you will".

"Did you come here alone", Jason asked hesitantly.

"Not quite", Alpha gaze then turned to the tube at the far end of the room. It suddenly activated and relieved a face they thought they would never see again.

"Zordon, you're alive", Adam exclaimed.

"Indeed Adam", Zordon's voice boomed, "welcome rangers, I'm afraid that the world is in great danger, I need your help".

"Great", Rocky muttered, "and I thought this was going to be a quiet year".

**TO BE CONTINUED**

_**A/N –**__ Welcome to story three of the Chronicles of Power series. The events of this series will be based on the Zeo series and it will focus on the teens final year at high school and all the dramas that go with it. I realise that this chapter may raise a number of questions but it is in three parts so hopefully and queries you may have will be answered by the end. What I will say is that just because five teens made it to the Power Chamber, doesn't mean they will be the five rangers..._

_Please let me know what you think and I hope you'll enjoy it. _


	2. Rage Against The Machine (Part 2)

_Chapter 2 – Rage Against The Machine (Part 2)_

_Power Chamber_

The five assembled teens looked amongst themselves, still slightly in shock that Zordon and Alpha had survived the explosion at the Command Center. After repelling the forces of Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd and Master Vile, their mentors were asking them to save the world again.

"There one thing I don't understand Zordon", Adam began.

"What's that Adam?"

"Well, everything", he paused, "what is this place, how did you survive and how can we save the world without powers for starters".

Billy stepped forward, "I believe I can answer the first question. This is an area that was marked in the original blueprints for the Command Center, a bomb shelter so to speak".

"You are partially correct", Alpha began, "this was originally a back-up Command Center, just in case something happened to the original. About a year ago I began to upgrade the systems so it could eventually replace the old Command Center".

Zordon picked up the explanation, "With the appearance of Master Vile, I feared that it was only a matter of time until he attacked the Command Center directly. I had Alpha install an emergency protocol that would teleport everyone out of the Command Center and the two of us safely underground".

Jason was about to ask something but Zordon cut in front of him, "I know what you're about to ask Jason. I didn't relieve that myself and Alpha had survived to protect you and the other rangers. Until the new security systems were installed, anyone could have accessed this building. If the forces of evil obtained that information then the world would be doomed.

Billy had broken away from the main group and he was inspecting the new computer systems. "These are amazing", he said with awe.

"The systems in the Power Chamber are far in advance of anything you will have seen before", Alpha replied.

"What about those robot things, what were they?" Trini asked.

"Behold the viewing globe", he instructed to the teens. "The creatures you fought are called Cogs, they are the footsoldiers for the Machine Empire. Led by King Mondo and his wife Queen Machina, they are stronger and more deadly than anything you will have faced before".

The group watched images of the Machine Empire and its troops conquering various different worlds. They saw the ruthless efficiency that only machines could achieve and no matter what they tried to do to oppose them, everyone eventually fell to the Empire.

"What do you want us to do?" Jason asked.

"Spoken like a true leader", Zordon responded. A panel opened up below his energy tube and a table slid out into the center of the room. On top of the table were five coloured squares, red, green, blue, yellow and pink. Sitting onto of each of the square were a pair of devices designed to fit on the wrist.

"We used the power of the Zeo crystal to create new powers and they will be harnessed using these Zeonisers", Zordon said.

"Well there's five of us and five morphers", Rocky stated.

"It's not that simple", Alpha began, "only the Zeo crystal can decide who will use the powers. If you are chosen, you will feel a surge of power from deep inside you".

Adam nodded before pointing at Jason, Billy and Trini, "well three of them match your old colours, why don't you go first".

The three nodded and picked up the Zeonisers that matched their previous ranger colour, however, the expression on their faces told everyone that they didn't feel anything. They then tried to grab one of the other Zeonisers to see if any of them would work for them. While it was funny to see the grimaces on the boys face when they touched the pink one, none of the Zeonisers responded to them.

"I guess it's not meant to be", Billy sighed sadly.

"Looks like you two are up", Jason said to Rocky and Adam.

They nodded and turned to face the table. Almost on instinct Rocky immediately went for the blue Zeoniser and Adam the green one. As soon as they touched the corresponding morpher, it immediately shone brightly. The Zeonisers instantly attached to Rocky and Adam's wrist.

"Woah, this feels incredible", Adam stated.

"I've never felt this kind of power", Rocky added.

"Rocky and Adam you have been chosen as the next blue and green rangers", Zordon stated to the two teens, "use your new powers wisely".

"Well that's two rangers", Jason began, "what about the other three, it could be anyone in the world".

"What if the crystals chose Bulk and Skull as the next rangers", Trini grimaced.

Billy looked thoughtfully at Rocky and Adam, a theory was forming in his head, "Rocky do you remember when you held the Zeo crystal from the Wind Ninja Academy", he nodded, "did shone blue". He then turned to Adam, "and Adam you held the crystal from the Moon palace, that one was green".

"So you think that people who've held the crystal in the past will be chosen as rangers?" Jason asked and Billy nodded in response.

"When Master Vile used the Orb of Doom, only those in the Command Center could remember future events", Adam added.

Rocky snapped his fingers, "Guys I know who the chosen rangers are but there's no time to explain". He turned to the new green ranger, "Adam I'll need your help", he nodded in response. They activated their Zeonisers and Rocky called out, "Its morphin time".

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

The two morphed and the others in the Power Chamber admired the new suits. The main body was all in one colour, expect for a white patch around the chest and shoulders. The boots and gloves were white with gold trim. The helmets were all one colour with a different shaped visor, an upside down triangle on Rocky's and a rectangle on Adam's.

Rocky grabbed the yellow and pink Zeonisers and threw the red one at Adam, "I'll take these two and I'll tell where to go on the way", he said to Adam. With a quick touch of their belt buckles, they both teleported away to their destinations.

_Angel Grove Park_

In a quiet corner of the park, two teenage girls were in the middle of a work out. Katherine 'Kat' Hillard was demonstrating a couple of new fighting techniques she had developed over the summer. Even though she was completely free of the ninja spirit that had possessed her last year, she had retained most of Sakura's knowledge of martial arts. To help her put a positive spin on her experience, Jason had suggested tailoring some of the moves to fit her personality.

Kat had been a dancer since she was a small child. It had taken a backseat to her diving ambitions as she grew up but she had retained enough knowledge to be an accomplished dancer. Initially everyone had laughed when she said she was going to try and combine ballet with martial arts. They soon stopped though when she demonstrated her pirouette kick, a version of a spin kick where she turned on the spot several times, delivering a blow with each spin.

"I'm not so sure about this", the other girl began.

"Don't be silly Tanya", Kat replied, "you've have great rhythm so you should be able to get this".

"But martial arts and dance?" Tanya questioned. Tanya Sloan and Kat had become great friends over the summer. They had always felt slightly on the outside with the other teens and they had bonded over this. Tanya was a fantastic singer and loved anything to do with music. It was true that she had natural rhythm but her knowledge of martial as was basic at best.

"Just trust me T", Kat encouraged.

Tanya nodded and began to focus, however, her concentration was disrupted by the appearance of several cogs. "What the hell are these things", Tanya shouted.

"No idea but they don't look friendly", Kat replied as she tried to kick one away but it was extremely strong. "Ok they're built stronger than the Doros were", she mumbled.

"Little help over here", Tanya cried as she struggled to shake off several cogs who had a tight grip on her arms. She pushed a couple of them away but the cogs just kept on coming.

Suddenly there was a flash of blue and a figure appeared in front of them. The two girls gasped as a blue power ranger stood in front of them but in a different suit than before.

"Zeo III Power Axes", the ranger called and a pair of hand held axes with a triangular shaped blade appeared in his hands. With ease, the blue ranger sliced through several of the mechanical footsoldiers. He cleared a path towards the forest on the edge of the park.

The blue ranger held out his hand to the two girls, "Come with me if you want to live", he began before laughing to himself, "I've always wanted to say that".

"Rocky?" Kat asked.

"Man I didn't think you'd figure it out so quickly", the blue ranger grumbled, "quickly let's take shelter and I'll explain", he lead them away into the trees, safe from the cogs. When he was sure that the cogs hadn't followed him, he stopped and took off his helmet.

"Man I knew you guys were Power Rangers but it's still freaky to see it" Tanya said as she looked Rocky over.

"There's no time for a full explanation", Rocky began, "Zordon and Alpha survived and rebuilt the Command Center. The things that attacked you are part of an evil force called the Machine Empire".

"Ok so what's that got to do with us?" Tanya asked.

Rocky sighed, "I was getting there. Zordon made new powers from the Zeo crystals and only the one's chosen by the crystals can use its powers". He reached behind his back and produced the pink and yellow zeonisers.

"Oh no, I can't be a Power Ranger", Tanya complained. Kat though slowly reached out and took the pink morpher out of Rocky's hand. She was bathed in a pink light before noticing the zeonsiers were attached to her wrists.

"Rocky's right and it all makes sense", Kat began. "My Nusiachi powers were derived from the pink zeo crystal so it makes sense that it would chose me". She then address Tanya directly, "And your parents found the yellow crystal, who better to use its powers".

Tanya still looked uncertain and just stared at the yellow zeoniser in Rocky's gloved hand. "But I don't know the first thing about being a Power Ranger", Tanya cried, "I don't have the fighting skills you guys have".

"I didn't know what I was doing the first time", Rocky confessed. "Zordon summoned me, Aisha and Adam to replace rangers that had been injured in a battle. It was only meant to be temporary and look at me now", he ran his arms through the air to show off his new suit.

"I'm still learning as well", Kat added, "I didn't know a single martial arts move until a year ago, now I'm teaching them to other people".

Tanya still didn't look convinced and turned away from the other teens. Kat and Rocky placed a hand on her shoulders to try and reassure her, "The Zeo crystal wouldn't have chosen you if it didn't think you could do it", Rocky stated.

Kat nodded in agreement, "All you need to do is believe".

Tanya nodded and reached out for the Zeoniser but before she could grab it, the cogs discovered their location. The metal warriors surrounded the teens, leaving them no option but to fight their way out.

"Looks like it's now or never", Rocky called out as he thrust the Zeoniser into Tanya's hand. She was bathed in a similar light as Kat was earlier, except in yellow.

Rocky replaced his helmet and summoned his Power Axes again. He charged straight into the swarming cogs and started slicing away.

Kat activated her Zeonisers and looked at Tanya, "Don't worry you'll be fine".

Tanya's face hardened into a masked of resolve and she too flicked her wrists to start the morphing process. Kat smiled, "I've been dying to say this, it's morphin time".

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

The girls paused to inspect their new outfits, "Wow", Tanya gasped as he put her gloved hands to her helmet, "this is awesome".

"You can admire yourself later Tanya", Kat called out as she ran off to join Rocky. The new pink ranger used all of her grace and poise to dodge several cogs. She then grabbed the two nearest to her and smashed their metal heads together, disabling them.

Another cog opened it's head and fired off a round of laser fire. Kat dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding the blast, "Don't fancy getting hit by that", she muttered, "Zeo I Power Disk". She summoned her special weapon to her hands and used it to block another burst of laser fire. Kat then threw the disk like a frisbee into the cogs. Several of them her decapitated by the projectile, rendering them useless.

Tanya wasn't faring quite as well as the others and her limited martial arts knowledge was showing. A cog caught her by surprise and knocked her into a tree. As she rubbed her ribs, Tanya noticed that three cogs were closing in on her.

"Tanya use your special weapon", Rocky called out.

"How?"

"Just think it", Rocky replied as he disabled another cog, "and it'll appear in your hand".

"Ok, I'll give it a try". Under her helmet she closed her eyes and concentrated on her weapons. Almost automatically she called out, "Zeo II Power Clubs", and a pair of yellow nunchucks appeared in her hands. "I can't believe that worked", she said to herself before turning back to the cogs, "Alright metal brains, you're history".

Tanya had never used nunchucks in her life but to her surprise she was now an expert. The first cog fell to her initial swing, before she knocked off the head of a second. She spun both of her Power Clubs in her hands before approaching the final cog. In a blur of yellow the cog was practically shredded by the impact, collapsing in a pile at the feet of the yellow ranger.

"See you're a natural", Rocky said as he approached Tanya, "although remind me not to get on your bad side".

"That's the last of them", Kat stated as she approached the others, "these powers are amazing".

Rocky's communicator chimed and he raised is arm to his mouth, "Rocky here".

"Rocky", Adam's voice called out, "I could use some help over here".

"Right I'll bring the other two rangers with me", he replied before turning to Kat, "do you still have your communicator?" he asked.

"Never leave home without it", she replied and she held up her left arm.

"Awesome we need to meet Adam at the race track", Rocky began, "sounds like him and the new red ranger are in trouble". Rocky then hit the teleport button and disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Kat took hold of Tanya's arm, "Hold on, your first time will be the worse", she too then teleported away, taking Tanya with her.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

_**A/N – **__Here's part two, explaining how Zordon and Alpha survived and introduced two further rangers. Other than that not much else to say about it. Thank you for the positive response to chapter 1, please keep your comments coming. _


	3. Rage Against The Machine (Part 3)

_Chapter 3 – Rage Against The Machine (Part 3)_

_Angel Grove Speedway_

The newly constructed Angel Grove Speedway sat in the desert just outside the city. It was a relatively rudimentary facility compared to a major speedway but it provided aspiring NASCAR drivers a place to practice. Today there was only one car on track and the driver was putting in some consistent lap times. As the red liveried car number 5 flashed past the start/finish line, the latest time came up on the scoreboard in the pits. A middle aged man with greying hair nodded appreciatively at the new personal best time set. A young mechanic approached the man and took a peek at the lap times, "Looks like you've found a new star boss", the mechanic began, "where did you find him?"

The man smiled proudly, "He's my nephew".

Inside the cockpit the drivers face was a mask of concentration as he approached one of the banked turns on the oval circuit. As he entered the left hand turn, suddenly the rear end of the car snapped around. The car was pitched into a violent spin, fortunately missing the concrete wall on the outside of the circuit. The car spun through 360 degrees and onto the grass at the inside edge of the track. As the car came to a halt, the driver beat his hands in frustration against the steering wheel. Gingerly, he got the car facing the right way and drove slowly down the pit line.

He pulled the car up alongside the team's owner and slowly climbed out the car. He tore his helmet off and through it back into the car in frustration. "Don't be so hard on yourself Tommy", the owner said, "you're tyres were old, the grip levels just weren't there".

Tommy Oliver ran his hand through his long hair in frustration, "I know Uncle Steve", he began, "but I was so close to the track record".

Steve Oliver put an arm around his young nephew's shoulder, "There'll be other opportunities Tommy. Tell you what we'll check the car out and you can have another go. You should be able to get a few more laps in before sunset".

Tommy nodded and walked through the back of the garage, kicking an empty oil can in the process. He walked into the paddock and into the only motorhome present in the facility. As he stood a seat on a well worn sofa, he put both his arms behind his head and lost himself in thought.

He had taken the destruction of the Command Center and the loss of Zordon the hardest of anyone. As the team's leader, there must've had been another option that he had missed. Surely Zordon didn't need to sacrifice himself and the Command Center to defeat Master Vile. Tommy had never felt comfortable as the leader and he still carried the guilt of the Thunderzords destruction around with him. This coupled with his break up from Kim meant that he had instantly distanced himself from the others.

The first thing Tommy had done was give up teaching martial arts. All the self discipline in the world hadn't saved Zordon, so he felt like a hypocrite for trying to teach it to someone else. From what he heard Rocky had picked up most of his former students. In a way he felt that he had done the former red ranger a favour. Rocky wanted to teach martial arts after leaving school so this was giving him more practice.

About a month after the defeat of Master Vile, he heard that his Uncle Steve was looking for a new driver for his race team. Tommy had a passing interest in motor sport but it used to take a backseat to martial arts. He asked Steve to let him take the car out for a few laps, more as a personal challenge to himself. His uncle was hesitant but he reluctantly agreed, on the condition that he didn't take too many risks. When Steve Oliver saw his nephew's lap time, his jaw dropped. There were significantly faster than his previous star driver and he immediately signed Tommy up as his new driver. So Tommy had a new challenge, trying to become the youngest entrant in the NASCAR series.

Tommy hadn't seen his friends that often since he took up motor racing, most of his free time was spent down at the track. Occasionally Jason would pop down but he never stayed for too long, he wasn't the biggest motor sport fan. In the space of a few months his former team mates were like strangers to him and he wasn't sure how to get them back into his life.

Tommy was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of an explosion in the distance. He quickly jumped up from his seat and sprinted out of the motorhome. His first thought was that there had been an accident during refuelling of the car and that some of his crew could be hurt. He was slightly relieved when all of them came running out of the garage as fast as possible, however, they all looked spooked by something.

He grabbed hold of his uncle by the shoulders, "What happened?"

"Some kind of robots appeared from nowhere", Steve stammered.

Tommy looked confused, "Robots, are you sure?"

"Positive", Steve nodded, the owner looked around, "where's Nick", he asked referring to the youngest mechanic.

"He must still be in the garage", Tommy theorised, "I'll go back and search for him".

"Tommy it's too dangerous", his uncle began, "plus there's a Power Ranger here fighting them off".

Tommy was stunned, how could a Power Ranger be here if the power coins and Zordon were gone. Giving his uncle one final look he took off towards the pits to search for the missing mechanic. When he got there he saw that his uncle was right, a fleet of robotic creatures were attacking the race track. He picked up a monkey wrench and smashed one of them in the head, destroying it instantly. As he scanned the area for Nick, he caught sight of a green ranger fighting off several of the cogs. Deciding to help the ranger, Tommy immobilised another cog with the wrench.

The green ranger caught sight of Tommy approaching him, "Tommy, I knew you'd be here".

Tommy was puzzled, how could this ranger know who he was. Then it dawned on him, he'd seen that fighting style before, "Adam?" he asked and the green ranger nodded in response, "but I don't understand?"

"Not really time to explain", Adam replied, "I need some help to save your friend", he pointed to the young mechanic who was surrounded by cogs. "I'll clear the cogs away from him but I need you to watch my back".

The former white ranger nodded nervously and watched Adam dive fearlessly into the footsoldiers. Tommy was almost envious that the new green ranger was still able to fearlessly put someone else's safety before his own. But then he realised that he had done exactly the same thing when he came back to help Nick. With renewed confidence, he tried his best to fend off the cogs but they were stronger than the putties and Doros he had been used to.

He was in danger of being overrun when Adam came back with Nick in tow. The mechanic was bruised but he didn't look too badly injured. "Take him into the garage, he can escape into the paddock from there", Tommy said to Adam. The green ranger nodded and dragged Nick into the open garage. Tommy meanwhile disabled another cog with a spin kick behind retreating to the garage himself. Once inside he activated the metal shutter to keep the cogs from getting into the building.

"Go on get out of here", he heard Adam say to Nick as he practically pushed him out the backdoor. He saw Adam use his communicator before he closed the back door behind him. Adam looked at Tommy before he powered down to look him directly in the eye. "It's been a while since he talked", he said simply.

Tommy nodded, "Perhaps you should start with the new powers you have". So Adam explained that Zordon had survived and rebuilt the Power Chamber and used the Zeo crystal to create new ranger powers. He told him about the Machine Empire and the latest threat to the safety of Earth. Finally he produced the red zeoniser and told Tommy that the crystal had chosen him to be the new red ranger.

Tommy shook his head, "I'm not sure if I can do it", he began, "look at what the team lost when I led them. The Thunderzords, nearly Zordon and the Command Center", he paused before saying the next part, "Kimberly's power coin".

"But look at what you've achieved", Adam countered, "under your leadership we defeated Scorpina and Master Vile permanently. We forced Rita and Zedd to retreat, we found Ninjor and the lost temple. None of that would've been possible without your leadership".

As Tommy was thinking this over, the garage was filled with a blue, yellow and pink light. Adam hadn't told him who the other rangers on the team were. He was happy to see Rocky still on the team, his skills and enthusiasm would keep them going. He was pleased to see that Kat would get other chance to be a hero, her time as a Nusiachi warrior fighting on their side had been too brief. He was surprised to see Aisha's cousin, Tanya he thought her name was, as the new yellow ranger. He didn't know that she was much of a fighter but the crystal must've chosen her for a reason.

"So this is where you've been hiding", Rocky said with a smile.

"Good to see you again Tommy", Kat greeted.

Tanya simply nodded, not knowing the potential new red ranger that well. Tommy sighed and looked at the zeoniser in Adam's hand. "Are you sure that you want me to lead you again?" he asked the group.

Kat, Adam and Rocky nodded, Tanya paused before speaking, "From what I've heard you were the best".

Tommy laughed nervously, "I dunno who told you that".

"Jason" was her brief reply.

Tommy smiled internally, if Jason thought that highly of him still then he knew what he had to do. Taking the zeoniser from Adam's hand, he was bathed in red light showing that the Zeo crystal had accepted him. "Now there's a small army of cogs out there, shall we take care of them?"

Rocky laughed, "The fearless leader's back".

He wasn't sure whether fearless was right but Tommy appreciated the praise, "It's morphin time", he called.

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

"Zeo Ranger V Red"

_Youth Center_

The cog army had retreated from the Youth Center about half an hour ago. Aimi and Cassie were still sitting on the floor next to the bar where they had slumped in exhaustion. The cogs had failed to gain access to the building but their plasma blasts had done a fair amount of damage to the Youth Center. Most of the windows were smashed and several of the walls had scorch marks on them. Aimi and Cassie had a few cuts and bruises but nothing significant.

"Did most of your days at work end like this?" Cassie asked.

"Not all", Aimi replied, "remind me to tell of the time I was turned back to a teenager though, that's an interesting story".

As Cassie laughed, they both heard voices from the entrance hall of the building. They quickly picked up the sonic weapons from the floor beside them and tossed them behind the bar. Through the door walked her seven best customers and they had somehow managed to drag Tommy along with them as well.

"What happened here?" Billy asked.

"Nothing serious", Cassie said casually, "we just came under attack from some robotic freaks".

The teens looked nervously amongst themselves, "Are you both ok?" Jason asked.

"Nothing major" Aimi replied, "I've had worse, did you lot manage to keep yourselves safe", she asked, there was something they were all hiding.

"Yeah we were saved by the Power Rangers", Rocky stated, a little too enthusiastically.

"Really", Aimi responded looking at Rocky and then at his blue t-shirt, "I bet you think the blue one's the best don't you?"

"Amazing I would say", Rocky grinned.

Aimi smiled to herself, she knew this group of teenagers couldn't keep themselves out of trouble for too long. She looked over to Cassie, "Why don't you go home and clean yourself up Cass", she began, "I can get this lot to help me clean up".

"Ok Aunt Aimi, see you at home", she replied before exiting the Youth Center.

Aimi turned her gaze back to the teens, "So Rocky's the blue ranger out of you, so that leaves five more to guess".

"Four actually, no white ranger and green ranger instead of black", Adam stated quickly, his gaze dropped to the floor when he realised what he said.

Busted, Aimi thought to herself, "So I'm guessing that Adam you're the green ranger". She saw that Kat slapped Adam's arm, another dead give away, "And since Kat admonished Adam for letting slip I'm guessing she's now the pink ranger.

As Kat sighed to herself, Aimi looked between Trini and Tanya. She was undecided about which one was the yellow ranger. Deciding to be sneaky she turned to Tanya, "Congratulations on becoming the yellow ranger Tanya".

Tanya huffed, "I don't believe it, not even a day as a ranger and my covers blown".

"Technically I didn't know", Aimi replied, "couldn't decide between you and Trini, thank you for outing yourself", she smiled.

Aimi was enjoying this game, it had been a while since she had gotten to use her investigative skills, "So finally the red ranger, since you've managed to drag Tommy from the racetrack, I'm guessing it's him".

The teens were staggered that she had been able to correctly guess the identities of the rangers in just a couple of minutes, "That's pretty incredible", Billy stated.

"Not for a former high level government investigator", she replied, "oh and as I've said before, you should really stop wearing your ranger colours, it's a dead giveaway".

"So now what, are you going to say you want to help again?" Tommy asked.

Aimi paused before replying, "Actually I do need help", she went behind the bar and pulled out several bin liners, "This place needs a good clean so get cracking". She saw that the teens were looking at her, "What I like my quiet life here thank you very much, I've done my fair share of monster chasing. I'm leaving that to the professionals". She then threw the bin liners at the teens.

Tommy caught the bundle of bags and smiled at Aimi before distributing them amongst the others. Aimi lent back on the counter and saw the group get to work. She was pleased that the city had a team of Power Rangers to protect it once again. She hoped that they could work as a team against the latest team of villains as effectively as they cleaned. Judging from how tough the footsoldiers were, it was going to be a lot tougher this time.

_**A/N **__ - Yeah didn't keep their identities secret for long. So the introduction to the Zeo season is complete. I wanted to treat Zeo like a complete season, hence the time gap between the end of Strike Of The Ninja and this one. I know that Tommy didn't take up racing until the Turbo season, but I needed to separate him from the team and this was the first thing that came to mind._

_Thank you for to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, please do keep them coming. _


	4. Metal Militia

_Chapter 4 – Metal Militia _

_September 30 1996 – Machine Palace_

King Mondo stood alone in his throne room as he waited for the latest communication from his superiors. He had sent a furious message to the United Alliance of Evil announcing the presence of a new team of Power Rangers on Earth. The Alliance had made it clear to Mondo that the planet was free of Zordon and his multi-coloured pests. To say that Mondo was infuriated would be an understatement.

As he continued to pace a voice bought him to attention, "This better be important Mondo".

The machine king turned around and saw Ecliptor's face on a monitor, "I was expecting Dark Specter himself, not his assistant", Mondo replied with contempt.

"Listen here you jumped up toaster", Ecliptor bellowed, "it's thanks to me that you've not been turned into scrap". Ecliptor paused to regain his composure, "Do you really think that Dark Specter would have appreciated the tone of your message".

"Do you think he would be happy to hear that your report about Zordon's demise was inaccurate", Mondo countered.

Ecliptor didn't respond to Mondo cheap shot. Dark Specter's chief lieutenant was certain that Zordon couldn't have survived the blast at the Command Center. The explosion had destroyed Master Vile, it was only pure luck that Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd had survived. Ecliptor couldn't even check the scene again as the security defences in the area had reactivated. He couldn't remember the location of the Command Center, "Perhaps I have a solution that will save both of us", he finally said.

A flash filled the throne room and a computer disk appeared in Mondo's hand, "That disk will enable you to upgrade your systems so you can enlarge your creations. Something I know you've been trying to perfect for a while", he smirked.

"And if this doesn't work", Mondo replied as he inspected the disk.

"For your sake you'd better hope that it does", and with that parting shot, Ecliptor shut down the channel.

The machine king wasn't sure if he could trust Ecliptor but he didn't really have much choice. Mondo chuckled as he thought of the best robots to test the upgrade on, "Klank, Orbus", he called, "I've got a job for you".

_Angel Grove Speedway_

The stands of the speedway were packed with an expectant crowd. It was the final race of the season and the destination of the California Stock Car Championship was going to be decided. Amongst the crowd were four of the five Power Rangers, looking to support their team leader. Following a soul searching discussion earlier in the week, Tommy and the other rangers agreed that they had neglected their friendship over the last few months. As part of the rebuilding process, the other rangers agreed to come and support Tommy at his next race. The red ranger wasn't in contention for the title as he had only joined the series part way through the year, however, a win would put him in a strong position for next year.

"This is fantastic", Rocky exclaimed, "why haven't we been here before".

"I could give you a number of reasons", Kat replied, she wasn't a huge fan of motor racing.

"Come on Kat it helps to try new things once in a while", Adam replied. He looked down into the pit lane and saw Tommy's car being pushed out of the garage, "They're amazing feats of engineering don't you think", he added as he pointed at the vehicle.

"No this is amazing engineering", Rocky replied as he took a nacho hat from one of the vendors. He broke off a piece and dipped it in the cheese before offering it to Tanya, "Want a bite?"

Tanya looked slightly disgusted, "Not really but thanks for the offer".

Rocky shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to the track. The cars had set off on their warm up lap and prepared for the green flag. For the next couple of hours the crowd cheered every overtake and flinched every time a car hit the wall. Tommy was amongst the leading group early on but started to struggle late in the race. When the chequered flag fell, he had finished a solid fifth. Not quite on the podium but it was a positive result.

As the crowd began to thin, the teens made their way toward the paddock to catch up with Tommy. They saw the red ranger perched next to his car, taking a long swing of his water, "Great race Tommy", Kat called out.

Tommy smiled as the group approached, "Hey guys glad you could make it".

"What happened at the end, you looked like you could've won it?" Adam asked.

Tommy sighed, "The exhaust cracked and I lost power, couldn't keep up with them down the straights".

"I'm going to nod and pretend I know what that means", Tanya joked.

The red ranger laughed, "It's alright Tanya I know this probably isn't for you".

"Just as long as you come and cheer me on at the talent show next week", she replied, "Cassie and I are going to knock your socks off with our duet".

"You can count on it", Tommy responded. Their discussion though was interrupted by an explosion in the distance, "Not again", the red ranger muttered as he remembered the cog attack at the track last week.

Finding a quiet corner, the teens huddled around as Tommy called the Power Chamber, "Zordon we're at the race track and we heard an explosion".

"Hey Tommy", Trini's voice called back, "Zordon, Alpha and Billy are in the zord hangar. I was just about to call you, the sensors have picked up Machine Empire activity at the scrap yard".

"That's just behind the stand over there", Kat added as she pointed into the distance.

"Looks like whatever's over there is consuming all the metal in the yard", Trini continued.

"Then it probably won't be long until it comes this way", Tommy replied before addressing the others, "we'd better get over there". The other rangers nodded and got into line, "It's morphin' time".

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

"Zeo Ranger V Red"

Once they had finished morphing, they teleported out of the track and over to the scrap yard.

_Power Chamber_

As soon as Trini had finished speaking with the other rangers, she ran out of the main chamber and towards the zord hangar. Zordon and Alpha had incorporated zords into the rangers new powers but without assistance, they hadn't been able to construct them. Billy and Trini had offered their technical knowledge and they had been working around the clock to get them ready. It was only a matter of time until the Machine Empire attacked again and the chances were they could enlarge their monsters just like Rita and Zedd could.

With the ninja powers gone, there was no need to keep the ninja zords around, other than for sentimental value. Billy in particular was sad to see his wolf zord dismantled but he knew that it was necessary to keep the world protected. For the remaining components, Zordon had been able to call on a few favours from the Aquitian rangers. Delphine was only too happy to help out and had delivered several electronic materials within a day.

Trini skidded to a halt outside the door to the zord hangar and pushed it open. She ran onto the gantry overlooking the newly completed zords to meet up with Billy and Alpha. "Guys there's an attack in the city, looks like the zords may be needed soon".

"But we've not had time to test them yet", Billy cried, "we don't know if they'll work correctly".

"Have faith in your abilities Billy", Zordon's voice called out, "even though they haven't joined together, every other component has been tested on numerous occasions".

"If it makes you feel any better we can go through the systems again", Trini added as she took hold of her boyfriends arm.

Billy smiled, "Sure, firstly we have Zeo Zord I and II, the artillery of the fleet. Fitted with high powered cannons, they will form the legs of the megazord. Zeo Zord III is based on the legendary sphinx and will form the upper body and arms of the megazord".

The couple walked into the auxillery command room that overlooked the zord bay. Billy pushed a few buttons on the control panel before continuing, "Zeo Zord IV takes the form of taurus the bull. Strong and powerful, it will make up the lower body of the megazord. Zeo Zords III and IV will also pull the zords I and II into battle. Finally we have Zeo Zord V, based on an eagle it will dock with the others from the air and form the head of the megazord".

"Don't forget about the battle helmets", Alpha added, "each one will give the megazord additional fire power if needed".

"Thanks for reminding me", Billy replied, "and I do feel much more confident, so thank you as well Trini", he added and gave her a quick kiss.

"Billy, Trini do you read me", they heard Tommy's voice call out from the radio, "we could use some zords down here".

"They're on their way Tommy", Billy replied, "well fingers crossed everyone", he said to the others in the control room.

As the group monitored the systems, everything seemed to be running normally. On the screen they saw that the cannons on Zeo Zord I and II were functioning correctly. With a powerful burst, they struck the giant scrap robot dead center. It was then the turn of Zeo Zords III and IV to attack, the green zord charged like the bull it was and knocked the robot down. Zord III unleashed a burst of laser fire to try and keep it pinned down.

Unfortunately the robot got to its feet and swiped the two zords away, the attack nearly knocked over the yellow and pink zords as well. "Guys all systems are nominal, it's time to form the Zeo Megazord", Billy called into the radio.

Immediately Zeo Zords III and IV released the chains attaching them to the other two zords and they jumped into the air. The blue zord transformed into the arms of the zord and hovered just about the green zord. They docked together safely and they proceeded to link up with the legs of the new megazord.

"Ok Tommy concentrate", Trini muttered as she saw the red eagle on its final docking approach. The zord connected with the others and the Zeo V battle helmet automatically attached itself.

"Alright they did it", Billy cried as he congratulated the others.

"All they need to do is beat that monster", Alpha added.

On the screen they saw the megazord swap the battle helmets a few times to try and gain the upper hand. The Zeo III battle helmet used its pyramid power to lift the monster into the air slam it into the ground. They quickly changed to the Zeo I battle helmet used its cannon power to further weaken the creature. Finally they changed back to the Zeo V battle helmet. The megazord summoned its sword and struck down the robot with a powerful swipe. It fell to the ground and exploded into a pile of scrap, "Thanks guys, you've built one hell of a machine", Tommy congratulated.

"Not a problem, now send those zords back to us and we'll have a party at my place later", Trini replied.

"I was hoping to have a private celebration", Billy added saucily.

Trini smiled, "Depends how lucky you are", she then addressed Alpha, "we're out of here Alpha", and they both teleported away.

"Ah young love", the robot sighed as he awaited the return of the zords.

_Kwan residence_

In the back yard, the rangers, Billy, Trini and Jason had gathered to celebrate the first victory of the Zeo rangers. The first creation of the Machine Empire had been repelled and their team work was better than ever.

"To Billy and his amazing handiwork", Rocky proposed as a toast.

"Hey what about me", Trini called out.

"Oh yeah and Trini as well", he added with a smile.

The teens clinked their soda glasses together and took a seat on the grass. After a few minutes of star gazing, Tommy spoke up, "The Machine Empire seems to be a lot tougher than Rita and Zedd".

"I know what you mean", Adam replied, "I'm going to be bruised tomorrow".

"It's strange not fighting as a ninja", Kat sighed, "but it's good to be part of the main team".

"You still are a ninja", Tommy stated, "it's just that you don't need to call on the powers anymore".

Kat smiled and summoned a razor leaf to her hand. She threw it at a cake that was sitting on top of a table and carved it perfectly in half. "Ok that's put me off eating that", Jason joked. He then adjusted the newest ranger, "How about you Tanya, how did you find your first megazord experience?"

Tanya gave a small smile, "It was weird that I knew exactly what to do but I really enjoyed it. I just hope that I can live up to some of you guys".

"Just because some of us have been rangers before doesn't make us better", Tommy began. "We all have to learn how to use these new powers just like you are. We also have to learn how to fight as a proper five piece team again".

Rocky nodded, "Yeah really we were making it up after we lost the pink power coin as all of our powers were designed to work with it", he then addressed Kat, "no offence to you".

Kat shook her head, "None taken, I understand what you mean".

"I know I haven't been around much in the last few months but that's going to change", Tommy began. "We need to work together as a team to beat King Mondo and his creations. Together nothing can stop us".

"Well said boss", Adam added.

The teens raised their glasses again and settled in for the evening. As they enjoyed the warm autumnal evening, their thoughts drifted to their new powers and zords. It would take a lot of work to adjust to the abilities that the Zeo crystal had given them. Tommy was right though, they would only defeat the Machine Empire with teamwork. And with no government agents around to distract them, surely it would be simpler this time. This was something they could only hope.

_**A/N – **__Another chapter! That's the fourth in seven days. I've got a lot more free time on my hands for the next few weeks so everything is coming along quickly. I've just finished writing chapter 11 which is around a third of the way through. Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed the last few chapters, hopefully you can keep up!_


	5. The Song Remains The Same

_Chapter 5 – The Song Remains The Same_

_October 16 1996 – Angel Grove Civic Center_

Angel Grove's premier music venue was buzzing with anticipation as a group of aspiring musicians began to enter the building. Later that evening the Civic Center was playing host to a city wide singing contest for under 18's. This was the contests only rule, so there were several solo artists, duos and groups eagerly going through their final warm ups. Amongst the group were Tanya and Cassie, who were preforming a duet together. The yellow ranger had heard about Cassie's singing talent shortly after she arrived in America. After talking about the contest with each other, they realised that neither of them wanted to perform solo. So it had been an easy decision to team up and enter as a duet.

For Tanya it had been a rough couple of weeks. The Machine Empire had stepped up its attacks and it was beginning to wear down the yellow ranger. She had considered herself a reasonably fit and active person but she was finding that she was almost always tired. The others tried to help her train but no matter how hard they tried, she still felt like an outsider in the group. She was practicing by herself but she felt like she wasn't having much success. Throwing herself into the contest had given her a good distraction from her problems.

"Ok can we have Tanya Sloan and Cassie Chan to the stage please", the producer announced.

Cassie gave Tanya a quick thumbs up and led her out onto the stage. Even though the arena was empty, apart from a few employees, it still felt very intimidating up on the stage. As they found their position on stage, one of the judges asked for them to introduce themselves, "Hi I'm Tanya Sloan and this Cassie Chan", the yellow ranger began, "and we're going to preform Killing Me Softly by Roberta Flack".

The backing track began and the two teens began to sing. Tanya had chosen the song as she felt that it would suit both of their voices perfectly. She glanced at her partner as they entered a harmony section they had devised. Tanya felt it was still slightly off but nothing too noticeable. As they began the chorus, the producer did a throat cutting gesture and the music stopped. "It there a problem", Cassie nervously asked.

"Not at all", the producer replied, "in fact that was perfect. If you both perform like that tonight then I think you've got a chance of winning".

The two girls squealed with delight and ran off the stage. Once they were in the wings, Cassie slung her arm over Tanya's shoulders, "Did you hear that, we're gonna be stars", she exclaimed.

Tanya though was a bit more relaxed, "We've still got tonight to go yet", she then pointed at the door which led to the street, "come on I could do with some air".

She led the younger teen outside and they breathed in the fresh air into their lungs. "So why do you want to be famous so badly?" Tanya asked.

Cassie sighed, "It's not the fame part necessarily, I just want to make a difference in the world". She paused briefly before continuing, "Can't really do that when you're stuck as a waitress at a juice bar".

"But you're still young", Tanya replied, "you've still got nearly two years of high school to go".

Cassie though about this for a moment, "I guess there's pressure from the family. I mean my mom was pretty successful at an early age and my aunt", she didn't know how to describe Aimi's career at the agency, "well she was pretty successful as well".

Tanya shook her head, "Look you can't judge yourself based on others, you need to work out what works best for you".

"Thanks", Cassie smiled.

Just then a small group of cogs, no more than six appeared out of nowhere. Tanya was immediately alert to the danger and dropped into a defensive stance. She was about to tell Cassie to run but the younger girl charged straight at the nearest cog without hesitation. She was so busy marvelling at her technique that she was blindsided by a cog. Tanya tried to block the attack but the robot managed to punch her upper chest.

"Keep your arm up and relax your shoulders", Cassie called out.

Easier said than done Tanya thought but she followed Cassie's advice. Immediately she noticed that it was easier to block the cog's attack. She picked up a loose piece of metal from the floor and used it to stab the robot, short circuiting it. Cassie had found a couple of bricks and used them to smash the heads of two other cogs.

Tanya attacked the next cog with a spin kick but it barely fazed the machine, she tried again but it just kept coming at her. "Keep your leg straight, you'll keep all the power in the kick", Cassie advised and demonstrated to great effect. She did as instructed and was surprised to take the head of the cog clean off.

Watching her younger friend in action made Tanya feel worse. Why had the crystal chosen her to be the yellow ranger when there was a much more skilled fighter out there. She used an iron bar to disable the final cog just as Cassie did the same. Slightly out of breath she jogged over to the teen, she noticed that Cassie was barely out of breath, making her jealousy rise. "How do you know how to do that?" she asked.

"It's my heritage", Cassie half joked, "my aunt is a martial arts expert, she's been teaching me on and off for most of my life". She tried to smooth her hair down but suddenly the Civic Center started to rumble. Some loose masonry started to fall from the building and landed close to the girls. Tanya spotted a large chunk heading straight for Cassie. In a flash she pushed the girl to the floor and piece of concrete narrowly avoiding them.

"Thanks", Cassie wheezed as she pulled herself up into a seated position. She then looked back in the Civic Center, the faint sound of shouting coming out of the door, "I'm going to try and help them", she announced and ran back into the building without hesitation.

Looking around to make sure no one was nearby, Tanya brought her communicator up to her mouth. "Zordon, Alpha, it's Tanya, I was just attacked by cogs at the Civic Center".

"Ay yi yi Tanya thank goodness", Alpha replied, "there's a robot in your vicinity and it's using sonic waves to literally shake buildings apart".

"Right I'm on my way", Tanya stated, "it's morphin time".

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

Alpha wasn't exaggerating when he said that the robot was in the area. Tanya ran around the corner of the building and the other four rangers were struggling against Mondo's creation. It was approximately six and a half feet tall and had a giant speaker in place of its head. It was using white noise to pin the other rangers into place.

"Tanya, keep back", Kat managed to gasp.

The yellow ranger thought about doing just that but she then remembered Zordon telling her about the qualities it took to be a ranger. Fearless in the face of adversity was one of those qualities. Summoning up all of her resolve, she called her power clubs into her hands and immediately attacked the robot. Spinning both of them around, she created a whirl of yellow energy that she launched at the robot. The creature staggered but it didn't fall and as a counter attack, it sent a sonic wave at Tanya.

Thinking quickly she dodged out the way and pulled out her Zeo pistol. Her shots hit the robot but again it refused to fall. "Try this on for size yellow ranger", the robot, called Shockwave, swiped Tanya and knocked the pistol away from her. With another punch, Tanya lay on the ground looking up at the robot. As it prepared to deliver another blow, she swept the legs out from under the creature. They both got to their feet and stood directly across from each other.

"How about a little one on one", Tanya called out.

The robot ran at Tanya and went straight on the offensive. Remembering Cassie's advice from earlier, she made sure to keep her guard up and keep her legs straight during attacks. Shockwave though was too strong to fight by herself and it soon pinned Tanya down with its sonic wave like the others.

"What are we going to do now?" Rocky asked the others.

"Give it up rangers", Shockwave taunted, "none of you have the perfect pitch to counter my attacks".

"Perfect pitch?" Tanya muttered to herself. She struggled against the force pinned her down and managed to sit up. Taking a deep breath, she sung the highest note she could reach and managed to hold it for a few seconds. Shockwave stumbled backwards with smoke coming out of his speaker. After a few more seconds sparks flew out from the cone, "My precious speaker", it groaned,

"Alright Tanya we're free", Tommy called, "time for the Zeo blaster".

The rangers called for their special weapons and they were combined to form the Zeo blaster. Tommy held the weapon and the other braced against him. With one final shot, Shockwave was reduced to a pile of metal on the ground.

As the rangers congratulated each other, Cassie approached them with several people who had been trapped inside the building. "Thank you Power Rangers", she addressed directly to the yellow ranger. "I'm not sure if you're the same people who saved me last year but I just wanted to say you were amazing".

Hoping that she hadn't inherited any of Aimi's investigative skills, Tanya mumbled a simple, "Your welcome".

Cassie looked around the battered parking lot, "Hey have any of you seen my friend, she didn't follow me into the building".

Before the rangers could reply, Shockwave grew to giant size and threatened to crush the building. "You need to leave now", Tanya called out to the civilians. Cassie nodded and led them away to safety.

"Alright let's silence him for good", Tommy called, "we need Zeo zord power now"

_Later that evening_

After the Zeo megazord had defeated the robot, the Civic Center had been cleaned up extremely quickly. After a quick inspection it was declared safe for the contest to take place. Backstage Tanya sat calmly on a plastic, not nervous in the slightest. After fighting a giant robotic speaker, singing in front of crowd didn't seem too bad. She wasn't feeling so bad about her position as the yellow ranger as she was earlier in the day. Her bravery and quick thinking had saved her team mates, Zordon in particular was extremely proud of her.

She still needed to work on her martial arts, she thought to herself. As she saw Cassie approach her in a sparkly pink dress an idea came to her, "Hey Cass, would you be willing to teach me some of fighting skills".

Cassie looked slightly confused, "I guess so, why would you need them though".

"Well this city is obviously more dangerous than I'm used to", she lied smoothly, "knowing how to defend myself properly wouldn't hurt".

"You're friends with Jason, Tommy and the others", Cassie replied, "couldn't they teach you?"

Tanya shrugged, "They're really busy with their classes and Kat", she paused as she tried to think of the best way to describe her dance-martial arts fusion, "her style's really unique". Cassie didn't look convinced so Tanya tried another approach, "Look I guess I would feel more comfortable learning this stuff from another girl and I bet I'm not the only one who thinks like that". She saw Cassie biting her lip, still thinking about her decision, "It'll be a good way to make a difference", Tanya added with a sing-song tone.

"Alright I'll do it", Cassie answered, "maybe I can get my aunt to do her own class, some of the stuff she knows is amazing".

"Alright I look forward to it", Tanya replied.

Just then they heard their names being announced to the crowd. They took each other by the hand and walked out onto the stage. The building wasn't completely full, a lot of people had been put off by the earlier attack, but it was still a large crowd. In contrast to the rehearsal, a live band would be performing the music. As they began to play, the two teens smiled to each other and launched into the performance of their lives.

As they held the final note, cheering and applause rang out through the building. The teens bowed to acknowledge the standing ovation that they were receiving. They were the final act of the show so they were joined onstage by the other competitors. As the judges deliberated all of the acts looked nervously out into the audience.

"The judges have reached a decision", the announcer called out. "And the winners are", there was a long dramatic pause to build the tension, "the duo of Tanya Sloan and Cassie Chan". A loud cheer went up from the crowd and the two girls embraced each other in celebration. As Tanya scanned the audience, she saw that she could see Rocky jumping up and down on his seat.

Tanya smiled to herself, even though she still felt on the edge of the group, she knew that they would always be there for her. They had welcomed her onto the team with open arms and without hesitation and they were here to celebrate with her at her time of triumph. As she and Cassie were handed their trophy for winning the contest, things looked very rosey for Tanya Sloan right now.

_**A/N **__– A Tanya-centric chapter so I can cover her introduction to the show and how she's coping with her new life as a Power Ranger, although it kinda also reads like a Cassie-centric chapter. Makes sense for her to be a better martial artist than Tanya, to begin with anyway. In the show she can hold her own pretty well from her first introduction so she must have some kind of experience. And yes I did nick her line about her heritage from her first episode in Turbo._

_Thank you again to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, please keep them coming. _


	6. Fear Of The Dark

_Chapter 6 – Fear Of The Dark_

_October 31 1996 – Youth Center_

The sun was beginning to set over the city and the sound of excited children filled the air. Halloween was a time of year that everyone in the city loved and the residents pulled out all the stops with their costumes and decorations. The approach to the Youth Center in particular was looking very festive with black and orange streamers and plastic skeletons lining the road.

Outside the building the five rangers waited for their other friends to arrive. The Youth Center was running its annual costume contest and the teens were dressed to impress. Tommy had used one of his old racing suits to create a zombie race car driver, Adam had come as Ryu from the Street Fighter series. Rocky had come dressed as a vampire and Kat and Tanya had come as a pair of pirate wenches. Tommy looked at his watch and tapped his foot slightly impatiently, "I know I should be the last one to complain about people's lateness", he grumbled.

"I'm sure they're on their way", Tanya replied. After a couple more minutes waiting, they were approached by three people dressed as the original red, blue and yellow rangers. It wasn't unusual to see people dressed as power rangers but these costumes looked a little too authentic.

"What do you think", the red ranger said, he took off the helmet to reveal Jason.

"Jase what are you doing", Tommy exclaimed. The other 'rangers' took off their helmets, revealing Billy and Trini.

"We thought it was a great idea", Trini replied.

"Yeah hiding in plain sight I think it's called", Jason added.

"Does Zordon know about this?" Adam asked.

"Where do you think we got the costumes from?" Trini responded. "We borrowed the ones that are on display in the Power Chamber and they still fit perfectly".

"How did you get them on", Kat questioned, "I thought the powers were gone".

Billy showed the back of the suit, "They have a zip for a reason", he replied simply.

"Well I think you look great", Tanya replied as she placed her arm around the shoulder of her predecessor. "Now come on you lot, there's a party going on".

The former and current yellow ranger led the group of teens into the Youth Center. Just like the outside it was very well decorated. This was Aimi's first Halloween in charge of the Youth Center and she wanted to make it a special one. Dry ice had been used to create a smoky effect on the floor and there were several tombstones dotted around. There were a few Halloween games around the room, which some of the younger teens were taking advantage of. Aimi stepped from behind the bar with a tray of smoking drinks. She frowned when she saw the outfits Jason, Billy and Trini were wearing, "Nice outfits", she stated.

"I could say the same about you", Billy replied. Aimi had asked Rocky if his girlfriend Yuri could borrow a ninja outfit from the Wind Ninja Academy. The leather outfit had a blue trim but it didn't have any symbols that linked it to the academy.

"Well I always fancied myself as a water ninja", Aimi smiled, "best of all the elements if you ask me". She thrust the tray of drinks in front of the teens, "Don't worry the smokes just for show, it's actually pumpkin juice".

The teens grabbed a glass each and took a swig, Rocky, Billy and Kat spat theirs out straight away but the others seemed to enjoy them. Aimi sighed, "Oh well guess it's an acquired taste".

The group thanked Aimi and headed off inside to join the fun. The party was in full swing and everyone was having a great time. Billy had won an apple bobbing contest against Adam and gave his prize of a teddy to Trini, much to her delight. The DJ played several Halloween themed songs until it was time to announce the winner of the costume contact.

Aimi stood up near the bar with an envelope in hand, she took a microphone from the DJ and began to speak. "Alright it's the moment you've all been waiting for", she opened up the envelope, "and the contest winner is", however at that moment the power went out and the building was plunged into darkness.

There were a few screams of terror and a general murmuring of discontent, "No need to panic", Aimi called out as she pulled out a flashlight, "I'm sure the power will be back momentarily". She fumbled her way over the rangers teens and grabbed hold of Billy, "Can you help me look at the fuse box?" she asked.

Billy nodded and followed her into the storage room. After several minutes looking at the fuses he could find nothing wrong with them. They were just about to head back to the others when Tommy and Adam burst in, "It's not just the Youth Center", Tommy stated, "every building on the street is slowing losing power".

"We asked a driver on the way past", Adam continued, "and he heard on the news that blackouts are affecting the whole city".

Billy looked pensive, "Something doesn't smell right".

"Yeah sorry I've been meaning to throw out some mouldy banana's for the last week", Aimi replied.

"No not that", Billy responded, "I reckon Mondo has something to do with this".

Tommy nodded at the team's technical adviser and brought his communicator up to his mouth, "Zordon, Alpha this is Tommy do you read me", there was no response. He tried against but there was still nothing, "This isn't good", he added.

"Maybe we should get over there", Adam stated. He and the others tried to teleport but nothing happened.

"Looks like these power cuts have affected the Power Chamber as well", Billy said.

"So what are we going to do?" Tommy asked, "without the Power Chamber we have no idea what's happening".

"If we had a powerful enough laptop we could access the city's power grid and see what happening", Billy began, "but mines not advanced enough"

Aimi bit her lip and reached behind Adam and into one of the freezers, however, it wasn't ice cream that was stored inside. In the dim light there appeared to be several small electronic devices, some of which were far more advanced than any that were currently on sale. After a quick rummage, Aimi pulled out a sleek laptop and handed it to Billy, "Will this do?" she asked.

The former blue ranger inspected the laptop, "Actually yes, this'll be great".

"Do we want to know where you got this and why you have it?" Tommy asked coldly.

Aimi sighed, "You know that you raided the Bunker before we evacuated", Tommy nodded, "well we may have kept some of the equipment and stored it here". Tommy shook his head disapprovingly, "well it's coming in useful now isn't it".

Billy's cry of success interrupted any further conversation, "Ok I'm in", the two rangers and former agent gathered around. "Looks like there's a major drain coming from the power station".

"That has to be the Machine Empire", Tommy began, "let's get the others and head on down". He then turned to Aimi, "I hope you're staying here".

Aimi nodded, "I've done my time out in the field plus I've got a building full of teenagers to look after". Just as they were about to leave, Aimi handed the two rangers a small headset, "You may need this though to keep in contact with Billy here"

Tommy and Adam nodded in appreciation and they gathered the other three rangers on the way out the building. All five of them morphed and jumped on their Zeo jet cycles. The roads were largely devoid of cars but groups of confused citizens lined the sidewalks. From what the rangers could hear as they sped past were complaints about the power outages and reports of metal creatures appearing shortly before the power went out.

When they arrived at the power plant, the rangers parked their jet cycles and cautiously approached the building. "Sure is quiet", Adam whispered.

Using the headset Aimi gave them, Tommy called Billy back at the Youth Centre, "Any luck locating the monster?"

"Not quite", Billy replied, "although I have narrowed it down to the west side of the plant".

"Thanks Billy we'll concentrate our search there". The rangers slowly walked around to the west side of the power plant, sticking as closely together as possible. A loud clang stopped them in their tracks, "What was that", Rocky exclaimed.

"Probably just an animal", Tanya replied, "and get your hands off me you scaredy cat". The blue ranger let go of Tanya and shrugged apologetically. They continued their walk, stopping periodically whenever a strange noise made them jump.

Suddenly there was a bang from over their shoulders and all of the rangers jumped out of their skins. They all turned to face the source of the explosion but as soon as they did, they were struck from behind with tremendous force. As they rolled around on the floor, they heard the sound of manic and mechanical laughter.

"We know you're out there", Tommy called out, "show yourself".

A pair of glowing red eyes appeared in front of them, into the small amount of light that was available stepped the monster. It looked like a robotic panther with glowing red eyes and a black and red cape, "I am the Shadowfiend", it called out, "I am the thing that makes your neck skin crawl, I am the footsteps late at night, I am the creature that makes it hard to look again. You will fear me and fear the dark".

"Yeah yeah, less talking more shooting", Tanya called out and fired her Zeo pistol at the monster. In a flash Shadowfiend fell back into the darkness and the shot missed. As Tanya slowly looked around, the monster appeared from behind and backhanded her into the wall.

Tommy summoned the Zeo power sword and swung at the robot but again, Shadowfiend was too quick. The sound of laughter filled the area and as quick as a flash, the monster struck Tommy down as well.

"Pitiful rangers", Shadowfiend began, however, he quickly recoiled from a beam of light. By accident Kat's power disk had caught the reflection of one of the few lights overhead. The monster retreated into the shadows before blasting Kat with some red energy in vengeance.

"That's it he's weak against light", Adam began before using his headset, "Billy can you divert any remaining power to the lights at the Power Plant?"

"I'll give it a try", came the response, "it may take a few seconds".

Adam saw Rocky get knocked down as well by Shadowfiend, "Quick as you can", Adam replied knowing that he'd be next.

"Only one more to go", came the monsters voice from the shadows. Adam summoned his power hatchets and waiting for the attack to come. Suddenly all the lights came on and Shadowfiend recoiled from the glare. It tried to find a shadow to sneak into but the light was so bright that all the large shadows had disappeared.

"Time to put you to bed Shadowfiend", Adam called out as the other rangers slowly got to their feet and summoned their special weapons. They combined them to from the Zeo blaster and with one blast, the monster was defeated. They waited for a few seconds but when it became apparent that it wasn't going to grow this time, they started to head back to the Youth Center.

"I wasn't scared you know", Rocky called out to the others.

"Sure you weren't Rocko", Kat replied.

Rocky laughed but didn't see Tommy sneaking up behind him. The red ranger poked Rocky in the sides and the blue ranger shrieked with fright. As the other rangers laughed at him, Rocky climbed slowly onto his jet cycle. He remained silent for the rest of the journey.

_Youth Center_

The destruction of the monster had restored power back to Angel Grove and the Youth Center. As Aimi served a free round of drinks to the patrons, she smiled as the rangers returned. Tommy held up the headset he borrowed and place it on the side. The look on his face stated that they needed to talk.

Aimi nodded and held up two fingers to indicate she would be free in two minutes. She grabbed a microphone and addressed the party goers, "Alright now we have the power back on, it's time to announce the contest winners". She paused to increase the tension, "The winners are Jason, Trini, and Billy and their awesome Power Ranger costumes". She handed over the prize, a month's free drinks, to each winner and congratulated them.

She stepped down off the raised platform and found Tommy waiting near the store room. "Looks like you wanted to talk".

Tommy hesitated briefly before beginning, "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you having access to all this gear".

"Look Tommy I know what you're thinking", she began, "I don't want to step on your toes again. You and the other rangers should be the front line against the forces of evil". She paused and looked at the hidden room where some of the sonic weapons were stored, "But you also have to understand that I want to protect myself as well, not just me but Cassie and Xander as well. If any of the stuff we have will keep us alive against the Machine Empire or whoever else fancies having a go then we're not getting rid of them".

Tommy didn't looked convinced. Aimi took the headset he had returned and put it back into the storage freezer. She grabbed the laptop that Billy had used earlier and gave it to Tommy, "Take it, it's probably the most powerful non-weapon we have, I'm sure Billy will find a use for it".

The red ranger looked the laptop over, "It's not bugged is it?" he asked.

Aimi shook her head, "Xander cleaned it out after we liberated it, there's nothing on or in there that will alert the agency".

"Thanks", Tommy replied, "I'm still not convinced".

"And you probably never will be", Aimi countered, "I know my former employer tried to screw you guys over repeatedly", she paused and looked Tommy over, "guess I'm guilty by association".

Tommy didn't really know how to respond to that and he didn't get a chance, "Now we'd better get out of here, don't want any rumours starting about how the two of us disappeared for ages into a store room". She herded Tommy out of the room and gave the hidden storage areas one last look. She switched off the light and with a rattle of keys, locked the door behind her.

_**A/N – **__I love seasonal chapters, they pretty much write themselves. Not really much to add to this other than thanks for the reviews of the last chapter, please keep them coming. _


	7. Train Kept A Rollin'

_Chapter 7 – Train Kept A Rollin'_

_November 14 1996 – Youth Center_

It was Saturday morning and the Youth Center was slowly filling up. At the weight section Tommy and Adam were going through some repetitions as part of their weekend work out. Up by the bar Jason and Rocky were planning out the next month's karate classes and checking it off against the center's availability. Rocky periodically glanced over at the red ranger as he was going through his set, "Any luck getting Tommy to teach again?" he asked. Signups for self defence classes had increased since the Machine Empire had launched their attacks. Rocky, Jason and Adam were struggling to keep up with demand and they were hoping to persuade Tommy to teach again during the stock car off season.

Jason shook his head, "Not yet I'm not giving up though", he looked down at the planner, "I don't want to turn people away but without another teacher we're going to have to".

"I'm sure Cassie wouldn't mind taking an extra class or two", Aimi stated as she approached the bar. She placed a couple of shakes in front of the duo. Her niece had started teaching female only groups following Tanya's suggestion, "She's been going on all week about how much she loves teaching".

"We appreciate the offer but ideally we need a full time instructor", Jason began. He then looked at Aimi, "Hey you're pretty good at martial arts, fancy teaching it as well?"

"I'd love to but sadly I have to supervise", Aimi replied, "I'm responsible for you lot so I need to give that my fully attention". She reached under the bar and pulled out a letter, "Just remembered this came in the post today".

Jason took the envelope and immediately recognised the writing, "Kimberly", he muttered.

"Why would she write here?" Aimi asked.

"Because Tommy keeps returning the letters sent to his home address", Jason replied. Since their breakup last year, Tommy had been ignoring any messages from his former girlfriend. Instead she had turned to the others to try and pass on any messages she had for the red ranger. They had tried to relay them but he had steadfastly refused to listen. A couple of months ago he had even given permission for them to open any letters addressed to him.

"He won't want to read it so probably best to throw it away", Jason added and he returned the letter to Aimi.

She sighed, "He really needs to move on and this", she shook the envelope, "could be really important", she opened it up and scanned the contents.

"What's it say", Rocky asked.

"Tommy's going to want to know about this", Aimi began, "Kimberly's coming back for an extended visit, she'll be back in Angel Grove today". The two teens looked stunned and tried to think of the best course of action, "As his friend's I'll leave it up to you to speak to him", she placed the letter in front of them and returned to the store room.

_On a train travelling to Angel Grove_

Kimberly Ann Hart gazed out the window as the train sped through the Californian countryside. After leaving for Florida last year, she had achieved her dream of competing in the Olympic Games. She didn't achieve the result she wanted in the individual beam but she had helped Team USA to a team silver medal.

Despite the success she had missed Angel Grove and all of her friends. She had kept up to date with their latest adventures, from Kat embracing the Nusiachi powers all the way through to the new Zeo powers. She had been devastated when the Command Center had been destroyed but then she was extremely pleased to hear that Zordon had survived.

There was still one person who was on her mind for all of last year, Tommy Oliver. It had been hard for her to break things off with him and there were times when she regretted that decision. All that began to change when Tommy stopped returning her calls and sent back her letters. She knew that he wouldn't take it well but to completely ignore her for the last year wasn't something she was prepared for. Any feelings she may have had for Tommy had slowly turned to anger and she couldn't wait to give him a piece of her mind when she caught up with him.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the train's announcer, "Ladies and Gentlemen will shortly be arriving at our next destination, please remember to take all of your personal belongings with you".

She adjusted herself in her seat and waiting for the train to pull into the station. She was slightly surprised when the train began to gain speed. The train flashed through the station, leaving everyone the carriage extremely confused. Kimberly then heard the sound of someone calling for help from the drivers cab. Her old ranger instincts kicked in and she hurried along the train towards the front. Several people were trying to run the other way and she had to fight against the flow of traffic.

When she got to the cab, Kimberly saw the driver unconscious and a shiny robot with a metal mask standing over him. Recognising the creature as a cog from the descriptions her friends had given, she kicked the robot away from the driver. Thinking quickly she grabbed a fire extinguisher and smashed it over the cogs head. She repeated this a couple of times, just to make sure it was immobilised.

When Kimberly was satisfied that the cog wasn't getting back up, she took a look around the cab. Several wires had been pulled out and the main console was sparking. She didn't know much about trains but even Kimberly knew this train was out of control.

"What's going on here?" a voice called out. Kimberly turned around and came face to face with a middle aged man. Judging by his uniform he was the conductor of the train.

"I'm not sure, I heard shouting and found this creature attacking the driver", she replied, pointing to the cog. "I was able to stop it but not before it did this to the console".

The guard looked at the console, "This isn't good, I'll try the emergency brakes", he pulled on a level but nothing happened. He tried a couple more times but the train still didn't slow down, all the colour began to drain from his face, "Miss I'm going to have to ask you to step outside", he stated.

Kim nodded and stepped out of the cab and into the now empty carriage. Fortunately she still kept her communicator with her just in case an emergency. She brought the device up to her mouth, "Zordon, Alpha this is Kimberly I'm in big trouble".

"Kimberly?" Billy's voice came from the communicator, "what's going on?"

"I'm on a train heading for Angel Grove", she replied, "it's been sabotaged by a cog and now it won't stop".

"Ok Kim try and remain calm, I'll get the rangers to help", he responded.

Kimberly thanked Billy and slowly walked back towards her seat. According to the timetable, she was supposed to arrive in Angel Grove in about half an hour but that could be sooner at their current speed. Even worse was that Angel Grove station was the final stop on the line. If the rangers couldn't stop the train soon, it would crash straight into the station at full speed.

_Power Chamber_

Billy had called the other rangers to the Power Chamber and explained the situation. Not for the first time it would be a race against the clock to save the day. This time it was slightly different, the train was full of people and also moving at great speed. In addition the cramped space meant that only one ranger could go.

"I'll go", Tommy volunteered, "as team leader the success of this mission should rest with me".

"Then the rest of us will evacuate Angel Grove station", Kat added, "and then we can track the train using the Zeo jet cycles".

"Because it's a diesel train we'll need to gain access to the system and turn it off remotely", Billy said. "If Tommy can gain access to the train's onboard computer I can do the rest". He handed him a floppy disk, "Use this, it should bypass any firewalls".

Tommy nodded and put the disk in a safe place, "Before you go", Billy began, "there's something you should know". Tommy looked at him with a confused expression, "Kimberly's on that train".

"K-Kimberly?" he stammered.

"Yeah she was the one who contacted us, she must be heading to the city for a visit", Billy replied.

Rocky looked nervous, neither he or Jason had been able to tell Tommy about Kim's letter. The call had come in before they had a chance. Now Tommy had this to deal with as well as saving the lives of everyone on board.

"She's in danger, just like everyone else on that train", Tommy said before addressing the team. "You all know what to do", everyone nodded, "It's morphin' time".

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

"Zeo Ranger V Red"

As the group teleported away, Alpha sighed, "This really is a tough one this time, I hope they can do it",

"So do I", Billy began, "so do I".

_Onboard the train_

Kimberly sat chewing her nails nervously as she waited for her friends to begin the rescue attempt. She knew from Billy was that one of the rangers would teleport onto the train and then the former blue ranger would try and stop it remotely. She had tried to relax the other passengers in her carriage but with each passing minute, the tension increased. She was about to sneak away and send out another call when a flash of red appeared next to her. She was relieved yet also shocked to see the red zeo ranger standing there.

Given their history over the last year, Kim was surprised that Tommy would be the one to come to the train. She did have to stop herself thinking how great he looked in red. He nodded his head to her, "Miss are you ok?"

Nice, protecting the secret identity, "I'm fine red ranger", she began, "I'll show you where the robot was".

"It's too dangerous", Tommy replied, "please wait here with the others".

"I'm going with you", Kim responded forcefully and led Tommy down to the end of the train.

The red ranger struggled to keep up with the champion gymnast as she walked into an empty carriage, "What the hell are you doing here", he asked.

"I'm trying to get us out of here", Kim shot back.

"No I meant why are you on a train heading for Angel Grove", Tommy shouted.

Kim rolled her eyes, "Well if you bothered to answer my calls or letters you would know".

She continued to storm down towards the drivers cab leaving Tommy trailing in her wake, "Kim stop it's too dangerous".

"Just being on this train is dangerous, stop pretending like you care".

"Will you stop being so stubborn", Tommy bellowed.

"Only when you stop being an ass", Kim replied. She pulled open the door to the cab and practically threw the guard out of the way. She pointed at the seat, commanding Tommy to sit, "Now stop this damn train".

Tommy huffed before opening up a panel underneath the main control panel. He inserted the disk into the drive and pushed a couple of buttons. He then brought his communicator up to his helmet, "Billy it's Tommy, I've inserted the disk into the computer".

"OK Tommy I'll need to concentrate on gaining access to the system so can you maintain radio silence", Billy replied.

Kim sat on the chair next to Tommy and stared out of the window. She had begun to recognise some of the landscapes features, they had entered the outskirts of Angel Grove. The station was only minutes away. Pushed her fears deep down, he turned her head to face Tommy, "You're gonna have to take to me at some point".

Tommy turned his head to face her, "Is this really the time?"

"Well if Billy doesn't stop this train in the next couple of minutes there won't be another time", she replied. "Is there nothing you want to say to me?"

Tommy didn't respond straight away and just stared out the window. Eventually he simply said, "Nope".

Kim turned her head to look out the window again, trying desperately to hold back her tears. She knew that she had hurt Tommy but she didn't think he would be this cruel towards her. At this point she almost wished that Billy would fail to stop the train so the pain would go away. It seemed like she would get her wish as they flashed past a good shed that was only seconds away from the end of the line.

Billy though was his usual amazing self and breaks on the train suddenly activated. Kim and Tommy were thrown forward in their seats and braced themselves against the console. The train rolled gently to a halt just on the edge of the platform at Angel Grove station. Kim didn't bother waiting to see if the red ranger would speak to her again so she returned back down the carriage. All the other passengers were in a hurry to leave the train but Kim hung back, hoping that Tommy would come back and check that she was alright. Her heart broke when it became apparent that he wasn't coming back for her.

She gathered her bags and slowly made her way off the train. She caught a glimpse of Tommy and the other Zeo rangers taking in the congratulations of the other passengers and the emergency services. After a few minutes they said their goodbyes and teleported away, not even giving Kim a second glance.

Kimberly wheeled her suitcase to a quiet corner of the station and put her hands behind her head. She was struggling to contain her emotions and tears were threatening to fall. She had imagined how her first meeting with their friends in a year would go. Everyone would greet her warmly and they would congratulate her on the silver medal. Tommy would initially be a little cold but they would talk and thing would be smoothed over. Reality though was horribly different, she had been at the center of a Machine Empire plot to kill hundreds of people and Tommy had practically blanked her.

"Kim?" a voice called. She looked up and her watery eyes saw Jason and Trini standing above her. Without hesitation she jumped up and through her arms around her oldest female friend. This opened the floodgate and Kim broke into tears. Trini hugged her friend tightly and Jason put his arm around her as well. Unfortunately not even a hug from her oldest friends could put an end to her heartbreak.

_**A/N – **__Kimberly's back, if only for a few chapters. Time for her and Tommy to get some closure for their break up in the last story. A bit of a depressing end to the chapter but it will get better for them I promise. Thank you to the reviewers of the last chapter, please keep them coming. _


	8. Drain You

_Chapter 8 – Drain You_

_November 23 1996 - Angel Grove Youth Center_

A queue of people stretched well outside the Youth Center, all of them chatting excitedly amongst themselves. It wasn't the milkshakes bringing them to the center today, it was a meet and greet session with a home town hero. Kimberly Hart had become famous in the town since her performance at the Atlanta Olympics helped Team USA to a silver medal. Every shop and restaurant proudly claimed that the medallist has visited there at some point in her short life. Even the high school had a banner proclaiming that the famous Kimberly Hart had attended school there.

Aimi and Ernie between them had decided to capitalise on Kim's new fame by holding meet and greet sessions. She had been down at Ernie's Beach Bar yesterday afternoon and now it was the Youth Center's turn. The building had been decorated with red, white and blue streamers and two large posters of Kim on the podium framed the table where she was sitting. Beside her sat her silver medal in a special glass display case. Jason and Rocky had graciously offered their services as bodyguards for the day, just to make sure no one stole it. The offer of free shakes from the manager hadn't hurt either.

After the traumatic experience with the runaway train, Kim had reconnected well with her friends. One of the first things she had done was go on a shopping trip to the mall with Trini and Kat. They had also managed to drag Tanya along as well which gave Kim the chance to get to know the latest yellow ranger. She was sad to hear that Aisha had gone to Africa but they were in still in regular contact by letter.

With the boys it was like nothing had changed in the last year. Billy was still his genius self and Jason, Rocky and Adam were still fun loving martial artists. She was happy to hear that Rocky's relationship was going well and she was eager to learn more about the trio's martial arts plans for the future.

The one problem was Tommy. Since the incident on the train, he had continued to blow her off and avoid any group activity that she might be at. Even now he sat at the bar, his shoulders hunched and head bowed. She had been here for nearly two hours and he hadn't even looked in her direction. She sighed and put on her best smile as she greeted the next fan looking for her autograph.

Up at the bar, Tommy stared blankly into his drink as he gave it a stir. Behind the bar Cassie had been cleaning glasses for the last 15 minutes. She hadn't noticed the red ranger look up in all that time, "Do you want to know what I think?" she said

"Not really", he grunted in reply.

"I've seen Kimberly looking over in your direction every few seconds", Cassie began. "Call it woman's intuition but I think she missed you".

Tommy snorted, "Well she shouldn't have broken up with me then".

Cassie slammed the glass down that she had been cleaning, "Seriously Tommy grow up, man up and go speak to her" and with that she stormed off into the back room.

A few seconds later Aimi appeared, "My niece maybe tactless but she does have a point".

"Really not looking for a lecture right now", he replied.

Aimi sighed, "Look there's a big queue outside so I don't think the Youth Center's going to be open again for another few hours. Rather than sitting here moping, maybe you should come back later".

"Yeah maybe you're right", Tommy finished his drink and placed it back onto the bar. He waded his way through the crowd and out into the street.

He was just about to head home when a voice caught his attention, "Tommy, wait". Tommy turned around and saw Kim walking toward him. He swift turned away and started to quickly walk away, "Thomas Oliver you get back here right now", Kim shouted after him.

"Leave me alone Kimberly", he growled.

"Not this time, you're going to talk to me whether you like it or not". She caught up to Tommy and jumped on his back, she held on desperately as he tried to shake her loose.

"Get off me"

"No not until to talk with you", she called back.

By now they were attracting a small crowd, fascinated by the sight of a petite champion gymnast wrestling with a much larger teenager. Unfortunately at that exact moment a group of cogs showed up and grabbed hold of the teens. Because Kim and Tommy had hold of each other, they were unable to fight off the robots properly. In a flash the cogs had dragged them into a portal and they disappeared.

_Unknown location_

The two teens were unceremoniously dumped into a grey prison cell. Judging by the sunlight coming into the cell, they were still on Earth somewhere. As they slowly got to their feet, the teens were greeted by the sight of King Mondo on the other side of the cage. "Greetings red ranger", he then looked at Kim, "and guest".

"Let us go you walking vacuum cleaner", Kim shouted as she hit the bars of the cage.

"Ooh temper temper", Mondo taunted, "now your boyfriend here-"

"We're not together", Tommy snapped.

"I'm sensing some conflict between the two of you", Mondo replied. "If I may continue, I was planning on holding Tommy here to ransom but I guess my plan will work with two of you". He paused to study Kim a little further, "I'm wondering why you didn't bat an eyelid when I said Tommy was the red ranger".

"Why don't you let me out of here and I'll show you", Kim growled.

"I'm not an idiot you know", Mondo responded, "now I have an ultimatum to issue. You two have fun together", and with that parting shot, King Mondo was gone.

"Great I'm not even a ranger anymore and I'm still getting kidnapped", Kim complained.

"On the bright side I don't have to rescue you this time", Tommy snapped.

"You know I don't why I'm bothering with you", Kim replied and she sat down with a huff in the corner of the room.

Tommy copied the gesture, "Fine with me". The pair stared blankly out of the cell as an uncomfortable silence descended.

_Youth Center_

After Kim and Tommy's kidnapping, Aimi had quickly ushered everyone out of the Youth Center. She had stayed outside with the crowd under the pretence of performing crowd control. Several reporters were in the crowd and they were already beginning to write stories about how an Olympic medallist had been kidnapped. Aimi used this distraction to keep everyone's attention away from the Youth Center

Inside Rocky had summoned the other four rangers and Billy into the building. He had brought along the laptop that used to belong to the government. Billy had gotten Xander to load up the program he created to keep a track of a ranger's energy signature. Unfortunately the program had been designed to work the power coins, not the Zeo crystals. It would take a while to reprogram everything to find Tommy, as the Zeo powers would mask any of his previous ones. Billy could only hope that enough residual energy remained in Kim so they could track her instead.

"Any luck yet Billy?" Tanya asked.

"Nothing definite, I know Kim is in the mountains somewhere", he replied. "I hope Tommy and Kim are together, although I bet neither of them want to be in the same room", Billy added.

"Without sounding harsh, maybe it'll give them time to work everything out", Rocky began, "or kill each other".

Just then the sound of loud static filled the empty Youth Center. The rangers noticed that the television on the bar had switched itself on and King Mondo had appeared on screen. "Hello Power Rangers I know you can hear this", he began, "I have your fearless leader and his female companion in one of my special holding cells. If you do not surrender yourself to me in the next hour, I will flood the cell and they will both drown".

"You won't get away with this Mondo", Adam called out.

The machine king laughed, "We shall see, you have one hour", with that the television went blank again.

"Tell us you have something man", Rocky said to Billy.

"Still searching, although if Mondo plans to flood their cell it must mean they're underground and near a body of water", Billy stated. "That would narrow our search to these two areas", he pointed to two places on the map that were within a pink region.

"Then we'll have to do this the old fashioned way", Rocky began. "Adam, you and Tanya will search one area, Kat and I will search the other. Hopefully Billy's search will come up with something more concrete".

Everyone else nodded and got into position behind the blue ranger, "It's morphin' time".

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

_King Mondo's Cell_

Back with Tommy and Kim, the atmosphere was still tense. The red ranger had tried to morph and use his communicator but Mondo had placed some kind of dampening field inside the cell. But that didn't stop him from trying, "Zordon, Alpha, Billy do you read me".

"That didn't work the first five times", Kim stated sarcastically.

"I don't see you doing anything to get us out of here", Tommy shot back.

Kim frowned, "I'm sure someone will have noticed that we've gone missing. Don't forget that Jason and Rocky were there, I'm sure they would've contacted the others".

"So that's you're solution, wait to get rescued", Tommy replied, "well you can do that Princess Kimberly but I'm getting out of here myself".

Kim sighed as she watched Tommy try to move the heavy steel door without much success. He had even less joy trying to climb up the wall towards the opening in the ceiling. After his latest attempt failed, he slumped to the floor and stared at a spot just to the right of Kim's head, so he didn't make eye contact.

After a few tense minutes, he broke the silence, "What happened to us Kim. We can barely stand to be the in the same room as each other".

She swallowed deeply, "It's my fault, well it all began with me". She paused briefly, "Tommy I messed up, when I decided to focus on the Olympics I thought that I needed to cut myself off from everyone. I wanted to dedicate myself to winning a medal so badly that I threw away everything we had. I was only in Florida for a few days before I realised that I messed it all up".

Tommy shifted in his seated position, slightly uncomfortable where this conversation was heading. "But when you started ignoring my calls and letters, I began to hate you. Every time that you didn't answer your phone I would shout and scream. I think that my room-mate was a bit scared of me", she laughed. She stared at the ceiling before continuing again, "I think that I got so lost in my anger towards you that I forgot what caused you to act that way. Then I saw you on the train and it all came flooding back".

By now Kim was sobbing quietly and had to use the sleeve of her pink shirt to dry her eyes. Seeing this sight made Tommy's heart melt, he stood up and sat next to her. As he took a seat Tommy offered her his bandana to dry her tears, "See you're still a gentleman even now".

Tommy shook his head, "I wouldn't say that, I mean I messed up as well. I shouldn't have acted like a child and ignored you. I should have seen that your heart was breaking at the airport that day". He paused to look into her brown eyes, "I guess we both screwed up".

Kim gave him a watery smile and silence descended again, this time it was much more comfortable. After a few minutes Kim spoke up, "So what now?"

"I'm not going to lie Kim, I still like you", he paused, "but so much has gone on that I'm not really sure what to do either". A long silence fell between the pair again, "how about we start again, as friends and see where it takes us?"

Kim's face dropped briefly before she was able to regain her composure, "Yeah friends", she choked out.

Suddenly the bars on the door sealed up and the roof closed, trapping them completely inside. Water began rushing into the cell, "What are we going to do now", Kim cried as she clung onto Tommy's arm. At the rate the water was rushing into the cell, it wouldn't be long before they were completely submerged.

"A last minute rescue wouldn't go amiss here guys", Tommy muttered to himself. The red ranger was held Kim above the waterline as the shorter girl was struggling to treat water. His strength though was failing him and it wouldn't be long before he would be under water as well.

Just as he was about to say his final goodbye to Kim, the water started to subside. Very quickly it dropped to a point where they could stand on the ground again. Tommy checked the door and a large hole had been punctured in it. As he was inspecting the hole, he heard a muffled voice, "If you two are in there better stand back".

Tommy took hold of Kim and moved her away from the door. Two swords slammed through the heavy door and cut a large rectangular shape in the metal. The swords withdrew and the large metal chunk was kicked inwards and into the gap stepped Zeo Rangers I and III. "Rocky, Kat am I glad to see you".

"All part of the service boss", Rocky replied. He noticed that Kim and Tommy still had hold of each other, "You two made up then?"

They quickly let go of each other's arms and nervously scratched their heads, "Something like that", Kim muttered as she walked towards the pink ranger, "Kat you don't feel like letting me become the pink ranger again would you?"

If they could see her face, they would have seen Kat frown, "Erm why do you ask?"

"Well in my time as a ranger I only had one near death experience", she began, "Now I've had two in two weeks".

Everyone laughed as Kim shook her head to get some of the water out. It was good to be back amongst friends, especially now that her and Tommy had sorted out some of their issues. She knew it would be uncomfortable for a while but it was a positive first step.

"I was joking about asking you to give me you morpher Kat", Kim stated as she stepped out of the cell.

"Good because I wouldn't have given it up easily", the pink ranger replied with a smile.

The two boys laughed and stepped out the cell as well, happy to have foiled another one of King Mondo's master plans.

_**A/N – **__See told you they would make up but yeah still not back together, apologies again to any Tommy/Kim fans. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter please keep them coming. _


	9. Iron

_Chapter 9 – Iron_

_December 6 1996 – Angel Grove High_

A nervous Billy Cranston walked through the hallway, clutching a thick chemistry book. On his way to the class he had received a summons over the PA system to report to the principles immediately. While he was confident that he hadn't done anything wrong, the suspicious glances and whispers from the other students he past eroded his self-belief. Billy racked his brains but he couldn't think what he could have done, or maybe hadn't done.

He knocked on the door with a shaky hand, after a few seconds he heard a voice from the other side, "Come in".

Billy opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. Mr Kaplin looked up from his paperwork and smiled at Billy, "Ah Billy please have a seat". The former blue ranger did as he was instructed and slowly lowered himself onto the chair.

"Now you're probably wondering why I called you here", Mr Kaplin began, "well it appears there's been an error with your transcript".

Billy frowned, "I don't understand, I always get excellent grades", he stammered.

"You misunderstand Billy", the principle replied, "the mistake is ours". Now Billy was even more confused, he didn't understand where this was going. Mr Kaplin pulled two pieces of paper out of his desk, one of which was rolled up. "At the start of a student's senior year, we check how many points they have accumulated. Mainly to see how close they are to graduating and where they need some help". He showed Billy the flat sheet of paper, "Because of your excellent grades, extra credit work and extracurricular activities you have gained even points to graduate from Angel Grove High".

The principle handed Billy the rolled up piece of paper, which he assumed was his High School diploma. "I'm only sorry that we didn't notice it sooner", Mr Kaplin apologised.

"No it's fine", Billy replied as he looked at the diploma, "thank you, I guess that I'll be on my way". He stood up and slowly made his way to the door and back into the hallway. He paused by his locker and unrolled the piece of paper and there it was in black and white, he was no longer a high school student.

"Hey geekoid", he heard Bulk call out from the down the hall. The greeting was more of affection than the insult it was a couple of years ago, "imagine our surprise when we heard you summoned to the principal's office".

"Yeah did he kick you out of school or something", Skull added.

"Well, sort of", Billy replied and showed the two former bullies his diploma, "apparently I've done enough to graduate".

"So you don't have to go to school anymore?" a horrified Skull said.

"I guess not", Billy shrugged.

"This isn't fair, our work with the Junior Police Patrol should get us extra credit", Bulk stated.

"Yeah lets go talk with Mr Kaplin", Skull added and the pair stomped off down to his office.

Billy sighed, "I almost think I'm going to miss them". He looked down at his diploma once again, "So now what am I going to do?"

_Angel Grove Youth Center_

After leaving the school premises, Billy decided he needed someone to talk to. With all of his friends still in class, there was only one other person available. Inside the Youth Center he saw Kim practicing her latest routine on the balance beam. Coach Schmidt's academy and Team USA had a number of personal tutors that ensured their athletes kept on top of their school work. Due to this Kim didn't attend school like the others and was able to study remotely, even when not at the academy.

When she saw Billy walking in, she paused and gave him a quick wave. She jumped down and wiped the sweat from her head, "Hey Billy", she greeted, "why aren't you in school?"

"Well because of this", and he showed Kim his diploma.

After inspecting the piece of paper, she walked up and gave him a hug, "Congratulations boy genius", she joked.

"Thanks", Billy replied slightly downbeat, "I guess I'm not really sure what to do".

Kim laughed, "Billy you've just been given a gift that any senior would love to have, the last six months off school, and you're complaining about that".

Billy directed them to a vacant table, "It's just come as a bit of a shock. I had the rest of the year planned out and now I'm at a loose end".

"You want my advice?", Kim asked and Billy nodded in response, "enjoy yourself, take up a hobby, learn an instrument or something like that". She leaned in a little closer and whispered the next part, "Although I have known you most of my life, so probably what you'll actually do is hang around the Power Chamber with Alpha".

Billy smiled, "I going to miss you when you return to Florida after Christmas, you always know the right thing to say".

"Aww save that silver tongue for your girlfriend", Kim replied as she tapped his arm. "Right I need to get back to practice, so in the nicest possible way, shoo".

"Alright Kim I'll catch you later", and with that he left Kim to her practice and left the Youth Center. Without anywhere to go, he decided to head home. Maybe a couple of hours in his lab would give him time to think about his future.

As he rounded the corner, he found his path blocked by robot with a reddy/orange shell. The monster had blades for hands and a circular saw gave his head a Mohican style look, "Oh look another victim to add to my list".

Billy dropped his bag, "I'm not as helpless as you think", he stated. The monster charged but Billy was able to roll out of the way. His fighting skills were a little rusty, he also knew that he should have called for help rather than take on the monster direct. The ranger inside him told him otherwise though. Powers or not he was still going to try and protect the innocent.

The monster swung one of his bladed arms, narrowly missing Billy's head. The former blue ranger picked up some loose debris and threw it at the monster in an attempt to slow it down. He briefly thought about calling on some of his ninja powers but he knew that it might tire him out too quickly. Thinking quickly Billy springboarded off the wall and landed a kick to the back of the monster head, narrowly avoiding the circular saw.

"Now I'm really mad", the creature shouted. It swung it arms again, this time though Billy tried to backflip out of the way. The tip of the blade caught him on his lower leg, slicing a six inch wound into the limb. Billy hit the floor and grabbed his leg in pain. The monster loomed menacingly over him, "Say goodbye", it growled. Before it could strike, it was hit by a burst of laser fire. Billy turned his head enough to see the yellow and green ranger approaching.

"Back away from the kid", Adam called out.

"You rangers are no fun", the monster began, "time to head on out of here", and with that he teleported away.

Tanya knelt down next to Billy, "Are you ok?"

"I've had worse", Billy replied as he struggled to sit up. He then looked at Adam, "Kid?" the green ranger shrugged in response.

Billy got to his feet but as soon as he took a step he stumbled. He tried to move his leg but it was completely stiff, he also couldn't feel his foot.

Seeing that their friend was in trouble, the two rangers took hold of him and teleported him off to the Power Chamber.

_Power Chamber_

Back at their base, the rangers had laid Billy down onto the medical table. The others rangers, together with Trini had been summoned to help their friend. They had cut off his jeans above his knees and they were shocked to see the damage the monster had done. Billy's legs were slowly turning the same shade of burned orange as the creature and his joints were so stiff that they couldn't move. What was more worrying was that the discolouring was spreading up his body.

Trini had managed to drag herself away from her ailing boyfriend to run a few tests with Alpha. The rest of the rangers nervously paced around the room waiting for the results. After a few minutes the computer was done, "Well what's the verdict?" Tommy asked.

"It's not good", Trini stated flatly, "the monster infected Billy with some sort of virus. I'm not quite sure that I believe this but it's turning his body to rust".

"Rust?" Kat exclaimed, "how can we counter that?"

"I'm not really sure we can", Alpha replied, "We'll need to do some further research".

"But Billy doesn't have that much time", Trini shouted as she threw the computer read out to the floor. "According to that readout we've only got a few minutes until the virus spreads to all parts of his system. It'll cause his heart and lungs to stop working", she didn't carry on, instead she turned away from the rest of the group.

Before anyone had a chance to comfort her, the alarms went off. The monster was back in another part of town, "This thing hurt one of our own", Tommy began, "it's time to take him down". The group morphed and teleported away to face the monster, leaving Trini and Alpha alone in the Power Chamber.

The former yellow ranger walked over to Billy's sick bed and took hold of his hands. The virus had spread to his arms so she couldn't close his fingers. His eyelids were slowly fluttering but she could tell that he was losing his strength. "Oh Billy", she cried, "I wish there was something I could do".

Billy's eyes focused on his girlfriends as best as they could, "L-l-li…", he began to stammer.

"Billy speak up I can't understand you", Trini replied.

"L-lime", he stated.

Trini eyes shot up in realisation, "Alpha I need some limes and some salt, quickly".

The robot scurried off to gather the items as requested, whilst Trini grabbed a beaker from behind the sick bed. When the robot returned, Trini snatched the fruits out of his hands and began squeezing them into the glass container. "I'm not sure I understand?" Alpha asked.

"It's a common remedy for removing rust, salt mixed with the juice from a lime", Trini replied. "Not sure it was intended to be used on a human though".

When Trini had finished mixing the concoction she transferred it into a medical bag with a long tube attached to one end. "The virus has spread too far to enable Billy to swallow properly", Trini began, "we'll have to pump it directly into his stomach".

Alpha helped Trini force the tube down Billy's throat until they were satisfied that it was far enough down. They began to massage the bag and the liquid pored through the tube. It felt like an eternity but the colour was beginning to return to Billy's skin. As the last of the liquid poured down, Billy's eyes suddenly shot open, "Alpha stand back I think Billy needs to expel the virus", Trini exclaimed.

Alpha jumped back as Trini found a bucket near the medical bed and she pulled the tube out as quickly as she could. As soon as the tube was free, Billy grabbed the bucket and wretched up the contents of his stomach. When he was sure there was nothing left, he put the bucket out the way and breathed deeply, "Thank you", he stated.

"Don't thank us Billy, it was your idea", Alpha replied.

Trini didn't say anything, she just grabbed Billy and hugged him tightly, "I thought I'd lost you", she said between her tears. "You'll have to forgive me but I'm not kissing you until you've brushed your teeth".

"That's not a problem", he laughed, "and don't worry I'm not going anywhere".

As the two teens had their moment, Alpha decided to leave them to it and quietly excused himself.

_Youth Center_

The rangers effortlessly defeated the rust monster without anyone else getting infected with the virus. The rangers decided to treat Billy to a shake in the new outdoor terrace area of the Youth Center. The area was decorated ready for Christmas with a tree in the corner and tinsel around the railings. The group were huddled together around one table, "I'm glad that you haven't turned to rust", Adam began, "I mean who would help me with my homework".

"I know I was feeling a bit obsolete after graduating but I never thought I would rust away", Billy replied.

"I think it just goes to show that Mondo will do anything to beat us", Tommy stated.

"But we'll be ready for him", Tanya added with conviction.

Kat turned to Billy, "So now that you've graduated what are you going to do now?"

But before Billy could reply, a deep voice interrupted them, "perhaps I can help with that". The group turned to face the voice and saw a tall dark skinned man with a shaved head. He was wearing a dark blue suit and tie and stood with an air of authority. "I've heard about your intelligence", he began, "we could use a man like you on our team".

"And what would that be?" Billy asked, slightly confused as to who this man was.

"My organisation specialises in advanced technology", he began, "creating things for the benefit and protection of mankind". He gave Billy a business card that simply had a phone number.

As Billy looked at the card, Aimi appeared with a tray of drinks. She nearly dropped them when she saw the man standing next to the teens, "Major Harmon", she stated coldly, "I hope that you're not bothering my customers".

"It's Colonel Harmon now actually _Miss _Miyamoto", he replied, "and to answer your question, I was just making young Mr Cranston here an offer to join my organisation".

Aimi stared at the Colonel, "I'm sure that Billy isn't too interested in anything you have to offer".

Colonel Harmon sneered, "That's up to him isn't it. I do hope that you consider my offer William", he then turned to Aimi, "enjoy the drinks trade whilst you can".

Aimi watched the like a hawk until she was sure that he had disappeared. She placed the tray of drinks down on the rangers table, "Who was that?" Tommy asked.

"That's my former boss at the agency", she replied, "trust me you don't want to get involved with them".

"Wasn't planning to", Billy replied as he tore the business card up. "You know what this means though".

Aimi sighed, "He's watching us, so we'd better watch our backs", she finished distributing the drinks and picked the tray up. "I'd better let Xander know".

The teens knew that Aimi was really shook up by the Colonel appearance and if they were honest, they were extremely worried as well. When they had been involved with the agency, they hadn't seen him once in Angel Grove. The fact that he had made a personal appearance could only mean one thing: trouble.

_**A/N – **__Wow a lot happened in that chapter. Firstly a rare Bulk & Skull appearance, probably since the early chapters of Strike of the Ninja. Colonel Harmon is also back which means that its nearly time for his master plan to be revealed._

_OK so I've written about half of this story so far, so I want to talk and gain opinions about the Turbo season. I've had a few reviews mention Justin and any upcoming appearance. Now being completely honest Turbo was probably my least favourite season and Justin is probably my least favourite ranger. My initial plans have him being replaced as the blue ranger by an original character but I wanted to see what my readers views on that were before I began planning too much. I will say that I'm a bit of a dictator with my stories so I may still make that switch, unless everyone is violently against it of course. _


	10. Death Magnetic

_Chapter 10 – Death Magnetic_

_December 27 1996 – Alpine Meadows Ski Resort, California_

The rangers and their friends had received a fantastic Christmas surprise from their parents. They had all grouped together and bought the teens a weeks vacation in the Alpine Meadows ski resort. Set up high in the mountains, it offered skiing and snowboarding for all skill levels. Early in the morning, the minibus carrying the teens pulled up outside the main lodge. The group bundled outside quickly, eager to get up to the slopes.

"Take a look at that", Jason stated as he pointed up to one of the ski runs, "it's got to be the tallest run I've ever seen".

Adam dug his snowboard out from the pile of luggage, "I know we've got nothing like this down in Angel Grove".

The boys slowly unloaded the rest of the luggage and sent the bus driver on his way. "Don't know about the rest of you girls", Kim began, "but I'm looking forward to relaxing in the lodge".

"Oh I don't know", Kat replied, "I've got a few moves that might show those boys up".

"Do they even have skiing in Australia?" Rocky asked as he picked up his suitcase.

As the group started to head towards the lodge, Tommy hung back, "Are you ok bro?" Jason asked.

"Yeah but I was told that a surprise guest would be here", he began, "guess they're going to be late".

"Or maybe it's you lot that are late", a voice called out from further down the path.

"Zack!" everyone exclaimed, Kim and Trini rushed to greet him and they tackled him to the ground. Jason and Billy jumped onto of the pile as a greeting to their old friend.

"I'm sorry who's that?" Tanya asked.

"That's Zack Taylor, the original black ranger", Tommy answered. "After he left the team he moved away from Angel Grove. Our parents saved enough money to fly him up from San Francisco as well".

Zack took hold of Kim and Trini by the arm and led them into the warmth of the lodge. They all huddled around the log fire to get some heat back into their fingers. As predicted the lodge was warm and inviting with large soft chairs and sofas. The teens pulled ten of them together and took a seat next to the fire, "It's great to see you Zack", Jason began, "how's things".

"Couldn't be better", he replied, "I've finished my course of rehab with a clean bill of health". To show that he had retained full use of his legs again, he busted out some of his old hip hop moves. "And I've been accepted at the San Francisco academy of dance".

"Zack, that's fantastic", Kat replied. As a dancer herself she knew that the academy was exclusive and extremely hard to get into.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced", Zack stated and he flashed his brightest smile.

Kim shook her head, "Zack behave".

Tanya frowned as the former black ranger as well, "And don't even think about using those moves on me buster".

The boys laughed at Zack's expense, "Someday you're moves will work Zackman", Jason said as he slapped his hand on his shoulder.

"You know this is the first time that we've had this many rangers in one place", Kim began, "shame that Aisha isn't here".

"The ticket from Africa was too expensive", Tommy replied, "but she contributed to this holiday as well". He paused to survey the pristine white slopes, "At least if there's trouble we'll be ready for it".

"Oh Tommy switch off for once will you", Rocky stated, "now I'm going to hit the slopes, who's coming with me". The boys all raised their hands and sprinted out of the lodge and towards the mountain.

_Machine Empire Palace_

Up on the Moon King Mondo was growing more and more frustrated that the rangers refused to lie down. Time and again he had gotten close to defeating them but they had always come away victorious. He had gotten close to eliminating the red ranger together with that girl of his and their technical expert. He needed to come up with something different this time. He was pulled from his thoughts by Klank clearing his throat, "Begging your pardon sire but someone wishes to see you".

Before Mondo could confirm that he would see the visitor, the sound of rattling armour rang out through the throne room. Into the throne room stepped a blue skinned winged creature. The visitor was also wearing tarnished golden armour, "Klank where did you get this relic from".

"I will not be spoken to in that way", the creature roared.

"Tell me Goldar when was the last time you actually won a fight", Mondo replied.

Goldar didn't respond straight away, "I want to seek vengeance on the one known as Adam Park", he struggled to say the next bit, "and I need your help".

"Did you hear that Klank, the legendary Goldar needs our help", the machine king jeered. "Tell me what did the green ranger do to upset you so much".

"He killed by beloved wife Scorpina", Goldar bellowed, "I must have my revenge"

King Mondo eyed Lord Zedd's former lieutenant. He certainly wasn't the fighting force he had been in the past, but maybe he could be useful. "Alright Goldar I'll help you, but tell me what price are you will to pay?"

"I will do whatever is needed", he replied.

If Mondo could have smiled he would have done, "I was hoping you would say that". In a flash Mondo jabbed his staff into an area where Goldar's armour had fallen away. An electrical charge surged through the staff, rendering Goldar unconscious.

"Klank take Goldar here to the medical chamber, it's time for Goldar to get an upgrade". Mondo laughed maniacally as Klank grabbed Goldar by the arms and dragged him away.

_Ski Resort_

On the slopes of a Californian mountain, Adam and Zack were flying down the course on their snowboards. The two former black rangers were slaloming between the flags on the piste with ease. Adam found one of the rails on the course and propelled himself along. Not to be outdone, Zack executed a 360 degrees spin on the next jump. He glanced over at his snowboarding buddy and flashed him a smile of enjoyment.

Tommy, Billy, Rocky and Jason were having a slightly more sedate journey down the mountain. They weren't as comfortable on the slopes as the other two so they were happy just to make it safely down. As they were nearing the bottom, they were overtaken by another skier. Ski clothes made it hard to tell a person gender, but given their build, they appeared to be female. The long blonde hair sticking out the back of her hat was also a big clue. The boys were impressed by the speed and skill she was showing. She overtook their two friends on snowboards and slid to a halt at the end of the run.

The mystery skier lifted up her goggles just as the group arrived, "You know you lot are pretty good", she began, "I loved the tricks from the snowboarders".

Zack smiled, "Well perhaps I could teach you a few".

The skier laughed, "Sorry I stick exclusively to skis", Zack's smiled dropped.

"You look really familiar", Tommy asked.

The skier smiled and blushed slightly, "This is slightly embarrassing, I'm Heather Thomson", she extended her hand to Tommy.

"No way, the champion skier", he took her hand and shook it, their touch and gaze lingered longer than usual.

"Aren't you the youngest World Champion downhill skier in history?" Rocky asked, this snapped Heather and Tommy's attention from each other.

"That's me, sometimes I do feel older than my 19 years", she replied. Heather pointed one her ski poles at the top of the mountain, "How do you boys feel about a real challenge?"

Tommy shrugged, "Depends what you have in mind".

Heather smiled, "Have you heard of the Widowmaker?"

Inside the lodge Kim was stared out of the window at her friends and their new friend. Even from a distance she could see that this female skier was quite attractive. Every time she saw her laughing at something Tommy said, she felt an irrational hatred taking over her. She was so focused on the new arrival that she didn't even hear Kat approach, "What you looking at Kim?"

Her head snapped around to face the blonde, "Oh just watching the boys finish their run".

"I think it's more than that", Kat replied. She had seen Kim stared out of the window for the last few minutes, her gaze never moving from Tommy and the female skier. "She's very pretty", she stated.

"Is she, I hadn't noticed", Kim replied absentmindedly.

Kat snorted, "Yeah sure you hadn't", something then clicked inside her mind, "oh my god you still like Tommy".

"No", Kim snapped a little too quickly, "maybe", she added.

"He's a good looking guy", Kim bore a hole with her gaze deep into Kat, "just an observation", Kat added defensively. "He wasn't going to stay off the market forever, perhaps you should talk to him before you return to Florida". With that Kat left to rejoin Trini and Tanya by the fire, leaving Kim with her thoughts.

Meanwhile the boys were taking the ski lift back to the top of the widowmaker. Heather had taken a lift by herself, leaving the other boys to pair up. Tommy and Jason were in a lift together riding up to the top, "I think she likes you bro", Jason whispered. Tommy pretended to ignore the former red ranger, opting to admire the scenery. "You need to get back on the horse at some point", he added, "it's been over a year since you broke up with Kim".

"I know", Tommy eventually replied, "you can understand my hesitation. Plus she's an international skier, she isn't going to stick around for long".

"And that's exactly the reason why you need to grasp this opportunity", Jason responded. "You don't have to marry the girl, just have a little fun. Act like the teenager you are man".

Tommy thought about Jason's words, maybe it was time to time to take the plunge again. It was strange, he felt more comfortable throwing himself down a mountain than asking a girl out. In the back of his mind though was Kim, ever since she had returned it had brought some old emotions back to the surface. But she seemed to be happy as friends so it shouldn't be a problem if he asked Heather on a date.

"Alright boys we're here", he heard Heather call out. They all disembarked from the chair lifts and positioned themselves at the top of the run.

"This is steeper than I anticipated", Billy stated nervously.

"You're not going to get shown up by a girl are you", Heather began, "and I thought you were men", she added cheekily.

Tommy smiled, "I'll see you at the bottom", he stated and pushed himself off. Heather quickly took off after him and they were soon followed down by the others. Unfortunately they were unaware that they were being watched. On a ridge above the start of the run, Klank and Orbus watched the rangers and their friends head off down the mountain.

"All is going according to plan", Klank stated to the small robot.

"King Mondo will be impressed with our handiwork", Orbus replied.

Klank looked at his latest creation, it was almost a work of art. There was no way the rangers could possibly defeat something as strong and powerful at this. "It's time", he said to his creation, "you know what to do". The creation nodded stiffly and took off into the sky, heading directly for the teens.

Unaware of this new threat the teens were having a blast on the widowmaker run. They could see how it had obtained it's name. Large jumps, steep downhill sections and virtually unguarded drops meant that you needed to stay focused at all times. Tommy and Heather raced ahead of the others, leaving them a fair distance behind. The red ranger smiled over to his new friend, "I think you're holding back on me", he called out.

"You're right I am", she replied with a smile.

Tommy laughed, "Good thing I'm holding back too", he crouched down on his skis and started to accelerate away. Not to be outdone the champion skier did the same and soon drew level with Tommy.

Suddenly a burst of laser fire came out of nowhere, hitting the snow directly in front of them. Reacting quickly, Tommy veered to the right and practically stopped dead in his tracks. Heather though was knocked off to the left and off the piste. She fell to the ground and her momentum sent her crashing through some protective fencing protecting one of the sheer drops on the run. Without slowing down Heather flew off the edge of the mountain, seemingly plunging hundreds of feet to the ground.

"Heather", Tommy cried as he tried to make his way over to where she fell. By now the others had caught up and stopped next to the crash site. When they got to the edge they heard Heather calling out for help. Relief washed over the group when they realised she wasn't dead, however, she was clinging to a rock just out of their grasp. If she lost her grip, the fall would certainly be fatal.

"Rocky, Adam go find the source of that laser fire", Tommy said to his two fellow rangers. "Call Kat and Tanya, I'll stay here and help the others rescue Heather".

The two rangers nodded and moved towards the forest at the edge of the run. Fortunately this was one of the flat areas of the course so if they did have to fight, they wouldn't have to worry about rolling down the hill.

After searching for a few minutes that had come up with nothing. Just as they were about to head back to the others, the ground felt like it was shaking beneath them. Whatever was causing the ground to vibrate was getting closer. They heard the sound of hydraulics and machinery from behind them and they turned to face the sort of the noise.

Into the clearing stepped a huge golden robot, easily 10 feet tall. The armour was chunky and looked extremely difficult to penetrate and on its back were hydraulic wings with rocket boosters. When they looked at the face of the creature though, they realised that this wasn't a robot at all. It was one of their most feared enemies who had gotten a serious upgrade, "Goldar?" Adam asked.

"That's correct green ranger", he replied with a robotic voice. "Vengeance shall be mine", he added but there was no passion behind his words and his eyes looked devoid of any life. Goldar raised his right arm and a missile appeared from the armour. It was pointing directly at the blue and green rangers.

"I don't remember Goldar being able to do that before", Rocky stated.

"Say goodbye rangers", Goldar called out as he charged up the missile. All the two rangers could do now is hope they could duck quickly enough.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

_**A/N – **__Goldar is now packing some serious heat, maybe it's time for the rangers to get some extra power of their own. Thank you to everyone who review the last chapter and for your opinions Turbo. All I can say is there's not a lot of Justin love. It's a shame for Blake Foster who's a pretty good martial artist and has a pretty good look that the character was so badly written. If only he had auditioned 10 years later..._


	11. Mr Roboto

_Chapter 11 – Mr. Roboto _

_**Previously - **__"That's correct green ranger", he replied with a robotic voice. "Vengeance shall be mine", he added but there was no passion behind his words and his eyes looked devoid of any life. Goldar raised his right arm and a missile appeared from the armour. It was pointing directly at the blue and green rangers._

"_I don't remember Goldar being able to do that before", Rocky stated._

"_Say goodbye rangers", Goldar called out as he charged up the missile. All the two rangers could do now is hope they could duck quickly enough. _

Goldar fired his missile but at exactly the same time, his arm when struck by a flying disk. The blow was enough to deflect the projectile away from Rocky and Adam and it exploded safely in the sky. The two boys turned to face their saviours and saw a morphed Kat and Tanya running towards them. The pink ranger retrieved her power disk and knelt next to her friends, "Are you guys ok?"

"Yeah we're fine but Goldar nearly blew us to pieces", Adam replied.

"Goldar? Where?" Kat asked slightly puzzled, "All I see is a freakishly big golden...", she paused and looked at the war machine a little closer, "robotic Goldar".

"I thought Goldar was a monkey lion creature", Tanya added, "not the terminator over there".

Rocky got to his feet, "Looks like Mondo gave him an upgrade", he and Adam flicked their wrists to summon their zeonisers, "and now it's time for us to return the favour. It's morphin' time".

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

The rangers summoned their special weapons and charged towards Robo-Goldar. The two boys used their hand-held weapons but they just bounced straight off the extremely strong exoskeleton. Tanya's power clubs also had little effect on Goldar's armour, her spin attack barely scuffed the shiny golden armour. Goldar charged up his right hand with a blue energy attack. Almost dismissively he backhanded them into the trees on the edge of their battleground. The four teens hit the trees with a solid thud and collapsed to the floor.

"This isn't working", Tanya cried.

"We just need to slow him down until Tommy can join us", Rocky added as he slowly got to his feet.

"If we last that long", Adam muttered.

Back with Tommy and the others, they were still trying to figure out a way of pulling Heather up from the cliff. She was clinging for dear life to a rock about fifteen feet below the ledge. She had hurt one of her arms in her initial tumble and she was slowly beginning to lose her grip.

The red ranger looked down over the edge, trying desperately to think of a solution. Suddenly something came to mind, "Quickly take off your coats, we can tie them together to form a rope".

"Do think that'll work?" Jason replied.

"Unless someone has an actual rope on them then it's the best we've got", Tommy stated.

"Did someone say rope?" they heard Kim's voice call out. They turned around and saw Kim and Trini wading through some deep snow with a rope.

"We heard Adam's call to the others and thought we could help up here", Trini stated.

Tommy smiled, "Great this is just what we need", he looked around to see if they could anchor the rope to something. Unfortunately the nearest tree was too far away from the edge. "There's nothing to tie this to", he began, "We'll just have to use our own body weight to keep it secure".

Jason grabbed one end of the rope from the girls, "I'm the heaviest, I'll take the strain at the back".

"Great bro, I'll stand at the front so everyone else line up between me and Jason".

As instructed Zack, Trini, Billy and Kim lined up in between Tommy and Jason. They slowly lowered the rope off the cliff face and down to Heather. Periodically Tommy called out to the skier below partially to see if she how close the end of the rope was to her but also just to make sure she was still there. Finally, just as it looked like they would run out of rope, she called up to confirm that she had taken hold of the rope.

"OK everyone ready to pull", Tommy said to the others.

"Sure are", Zack replied, "just like old times isn't it", he added. Everyone realised he was right, for the first time in a while, the six original power rangers were helping out someone in danger.

With a mighty heave, the six teens began to slowly drag Heather back up to the top of the cliff. The heavy snow meant that it was hard to get a firm grip with their feet. The champion skier was nearly at the top when the rope began to slip, threatening to send her plummeting to the ground below. The teens nearly went over with her but Jason dug his heels in to slow the slide and this gave the others the opportunity to do the same. Once they had the rope under control again, they resumed the rescue mission.

With one final pull Heather was pulled back up on to the cliff, landing on top of Tommy. She smiled and hugged him tightly to show her gratitude, much to the consternation of Kim. The former pink ranger glared at the pretty skier with jealousy. "Thank you Tommy", Heather stated breathlessly as she gazed into his eyes. Kim coughed to interrupt the moment, "and Tommy's friends".

"You, err, better get your arm seen to", Tommy stated as he slowly rolled Heather off him.

"We'll take care of that", Jason stated, "why don't you see if you can find a staff member to report the incident to", he added pointing at his wrists.

Tommy nodded in response, "Good idea, I'll see you all back at the lodge".

He quickly ran towards the trees where Rocky and Adam had ventured into several minutes ago. When he was out of sight of the others he quickly morphed and followed the footprints deeper into the woods. Eventually the sounds of battle reached him through his helmet and he followed them toward an area where the trees weren't as dense. When he arrived he found the other four rangers lying on the ground with a giant golden robot looming over them. It was only on closer inspection that he noticed the face on the robot looked a lot like Goldar.

With Robo-Goldar looking poised to strike, Tommy pulled out his zeo laser pistol and took aim at the only weak spot on the creature, the head. With a single burst he struck the robot on the side of the head, causing it to lumber around before slumping to the ground. Using this momentary distraction, he raced over to check on his team mates, "Guys are you ok, can you stand?"

"Oh yeah we're fine, just taking a break", Rocky replied with heavy sarcasm.

"Are the machine empire running low on ideas", the red ranger began, "that war machine looks a lot like Goldar".

"It is Goldar", Adam stated, "he's been on a course of steroids or something".

Tommy turned around and saw Goldar slowly rise back to his feet. His shot from the laser had smashed Goldar's helmet, exposing the head underneath. The red ranger nearly recoiled with disgust when he saw a number of wires running directly from the robotic suit and straight into Goldar's skull. The creature was a merciless warrior but even he didn't deserve this.

Robo-Goldar produced a sword and pointed it at Tommy, "We will duel now red ranger", he stated with a monotone voice, "and I shall win".

Tommy called on his zeo power sword and blocked a swing from Goldar. Due to the robotic upgrades he was much stronger than before and the red ranger was nearly knocked to the floor. Taking a firmer grip on his sword he ducked the next swing and sliced at Goldar's side. The sword was slightly more effective than the other rangers weapons, leaving a thick scratch in the armour. Tommy was much quicker than his opponent and he used this to his advantage. He slashed several more times at Robo-Goldar, leaving a number of deep cuts in his golden armour.

After dodging another swing, Tommy slid between Robo-Goldar's legs and saw a hydraulic tube on the backs of his legs. With a mighty swing of his sword he sliced through the pipes, severing them completely. Robo-Goldar roared with pain as a red liquid dripped out of the tubes. Tommy wasn't sure if it was blood or some sort of hydraulic liquid. If he was honest he didn't really want to know the answer.

Robo-Goldar staggered and slumped to his knees. With the hydraulic lines severed, he wouldn't be able to operate his lower legs. Tommy rolled out of the way and turned to face one of his greatest foes, literally brought to his knees. In a moment of compassion he addressed Robo-Goldar, "It's not too late Goldar", he began, "let us help you. We can try and reverse whatever the Machine Empire has done to you".

Robo-Goldar turned his head towards Tommy, seemingly to think about what the red ranger had offered him. After a few moments, he delivered his simple response, "Vengeance". With a swing of his right hand, he swiped Tommy away with a strong blow. The red ranger landed in a heap next to his friends.

He slowly got to his feet, with a little assistance from his friends. Giving Robo-Goldar another look he raised his zeo power sword up and pointed it at the robotic creature, "I'm sorry Goldar but you leave us no choice". He then address his fellow rangers, "Alright guys let's give him the Zeo blaster".

The rangers assembled the Zeo blaster and got into position behind Tommy. They braced themselves as the red ranger fired the weapon and they put every ounce of energy into the blast. The shot hit its target and knocked Robo-Goldar flat on his back. The rangers slumped to their knees, completely exhausted from the effort they put into that shot.

As they were trying to catch their breath, they heard the sound of whirring mechanical parts and hissing hydraulics. They turned their attention to Robo-Goldar who, to their disbelief, had survived the shot from the Zeo blaster. The blast had smashed a hole straight through Robo-Goldar's chest, exposing various pieces of machinery and electronics, but it hadn't been enough to deliver a fatal blow.

"Man Mondo really build this guy tough", Adam exclaimed.

"We can't fight him in our state", Kat added.

Tommy struggled to get to his feet, "You're right Kat, let's regroup at the Power Chamber. Maybe Zordon will have an idea to defeat Robo-Goldar".

The other rangers agreed and quickly teleported away from the battlefield and back to the Power Chamber.

_Power Chamber_

The rangers landed and immediately removed their helmets, placing them on top of the nearest console. To their surprise, the five former rangers were already in the Power Chamber. "Hey what are you guys doing here?" Tanya stated.

"After we dropped Heather off at the resorts medical center, Billy and Trini wanted come back here", Jason began. "We decided to come as well to see if there was anything we could do".

"How is she?" Tommy asked.

"A bit bruised", Billy replied, "she may have broken her arm the doctor said. She wasn't too bothered about that though".

Zack laughed, "Yeah all she said was 'again'".

The other teens laughed before the atmosphere turned most serious, "We saw the entire battle from here", Jason began, "man the Machine Empire have gone too far this time".

"For all we know Goldar may have requested his upgrade", Tanya replied.

Trini shook her head, "You don't know Goldar as well as we do", she stated to her successor. "He's a warrior that craves power that's for sure but whatever they've done to him seems to have taken his mind and free will away".

"Yeah I don't think even monkey brains is stupid enough to agree to that", Kim added.

Tommy sighed, "We through everything we had at him and he was still too strong".

"Now would be a good time for one of those last minute weapon upgrades of yours Billy", Rocky added.

"Funny you should say that", Billy replied. He pushed a button on the console and a table appeared to the side of the room. On top of the table sat a long cylindrical weapon, "I took my original designs for the power cannon and I modified them to create the Zeo cannon. I found that the original power cannon was too cumbersome and the recoil was terrible. This", he patted the top of the cannon, "has eliminated all of those problems".

The other rangers inspected Billy handiwork, "I have to say Billy, you've done it again".

"Yeah with this we're sure to kick Goldar's robotic backside next time", Tanya added.

"I'm not so sure about that rangers", Zordon's voice boomed out across the Power Chamber. Everyone in the room stopped and gave the wise old sage a glance. It was unlike Zordon to be so negative with their chances in battle. "According to our scans, the power Robo-Goldar is giving off is far in excess of anything you've encountered before".

"He's giving off more energy than Rita, Lord Zedd, Rito Revolto, Scorpina, Hydro Hog and Master Vile", Alpha added, listing off all the major villains that the rangers had beaten in the last few years.

"But the power of the zeo crystal defeated Master Vile", Billy began, "Now that's it's been harnessed into ranger powers surely it'll be enough".

"It's borderline", Alpha replied, "particularly with the rangers in an already weakened state".

"That is why Alpha and I have been working on a special project", Zordon began. "It will need all of you to work together to defeat Robo-Goldar".

The five rangers nodded, "Don't worry Zordon we'll do whatever's needed to defeat that robotic goon".

"You misunderstand me Tommy", Zordon replied, "I don't just mean the five rangers", he eyes glanced over the other five teens in the room. "It will all of you in this room to defeat Robo-Goldar".

The five non-rangers looked at each other, not really sure what Goldar was getting at. Without powers they wouldn't be able to face the robotic menace that was now Goldar, unless Zordon had been able to perform a miracle. Almost instinctively they glanced over the glass chambers that housed their former power suits, awaiting Zordon to elaborate further.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	12. With A Little Help From My Friends

_Chapter 12 – With A Little Help From My Friends_

_**Previously – **__The five rangers nodded, "Don't worry Zordon we'll do whatever's needed to defeat that robotic goon"._

"_You misunderstand me Tommy", Zordon replied, "I don't just mean the five rangers", he eyes glanced over the other five teens in the room. "It will all of you in this room to defeat Robo-Goldar"._

_The five non-rangers looked at each other, not really sure what Goldar was getting at. Without powers they wouldn't be able to face the robotic menace that was now Goldar, unless Zordon had been able to perform a miracle. Almost instinctively they glanced over the glass chambers that housed their former power suits, awaiting Zordon to elaborate further. _

"I'm not sure we understand", Jason began, "how can we help?"

Alpha pushed a couple of buttons on the console and in a flash of light the original power morphers appeared in the hands of the non-rangers. "When we began research into the Zeo crystal, we tried to use its power to recharge the old morphers and suits but without success", the robot stated.

"It became clear during initial testing that new suits would be required to harness the immense power of the Zeo crystal over a long time", Zordon continued. "There was, however, an unexpected side effect. We found that we could use the Zeo crystal to temporarily energise an ordinary suit. Effectively we could give any object ranger-like power for a short period of time".

Alpha pointed to the display case with the old Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers suits and weapons. "These were not just created for display purposes, they were created in the event of a danger so great that the power of two ranger teams would be needed".

"Will that process would for all of our old powers?" Tommy asked, briefly glancing at his old green and white costumes.

"Unfortunately not", Zordon replied, "the five crystals will only work with the corresponding five colours of the old team. In addition your old zords, except for the Dragonzord, were destroyed. There is no way to bring them back".

Billy raised his hand, "But we now have a green ranger instead of a black ranger. Do those two correspond with each other?" Zordon nodded in response, "But why that doesn't make any sense".

"I admire your curiosity Billy, but we don't have time to explain everything in detail", Alpha replied. He gathered everyone into place so they matched up with their colour twin, except for Zack, who stood opposite Adam.

"Zeo rangers", Zordon began, "take hold of the power morphers and allow the energy from the Zeo crystal to flow through you".

The rangers did as they were instructed and closed their eyes in concentration. After a few moments, the power morphers began to glow. Eventually the energy transfer stopped and the knees of the Zeo rangers buckled slightly, "Are you ok?" Kim asked the team.

"Yeah it just took more out of us then we expected", Tommy replied for his team. The rangers handed the morphers back into the hands of their original owners.

"This feels great", Zack began, "just like old time".

"A word of caution Zackary", Zordon said, "we do not know how long the powers will last for. It would be advisable not to use them until absolutely necessary".

Suddenly the alarms in the Power Chamber went off, the rangers made their way over to the viewing screen to see what the trouble was. They all saw Robo-Goldar now making his way down the mountain and closer to the lodge.

"Damn he recovered quickly", Rocky stated.

"Alright this is it", Tommy stated to the group. He then turned to address Jason, "Ready to lead you team one more time bro?" he asked.

"You'd better believe it", he replied and grasped Tommy's outstretched hand firmly.

The Zeo rangers grabbed their helmets and teleported away whilst the five original rangers quickly followed suit, with their newly re-energised morphers in their hands.

_Alpine Meadows Ski Resort_

Robo-Goldar moved hesitantly across the valley floor and towards the occupied resort lodge. His self-repair systems had kicked in and restored movement to his legs. The hydraulic system wasn't fully functional so each step was slow and plodding. The hole in his chest had been sealed shut but the components underneath were still repairing themslves. The most worrying thing for the cyborg was that he was getting flashes of memories but he didn't know what they meant. A scorpion woman with long black hair, something about this woman was important to him but he couldn't remember why.

He stopped as a bright multi-coloured light filled his vision. When the light cleared he saw his five hated enemies, the Zeo Rangers, and five other young people. Their faces looked familiar but he couldn't remember their names.

"Hold it right there Goldar", Tommy called out.

"Long time no see", Jason added. The red mighty morphin ranger was surprised to see that his mortal enemy didn't seem to recognise him. "You remember me don't you?"

"I have never seen you before", Robo-Goldar replied, half truthfully.

"How can he not recognise us?" Trini asked the others.

"It might have something to do with the procedures the Machine Empire subjected him to", Billy replied. "Like he's been programmed that way".

"Maybe we should jog his memory", Jason said to the other unmorphed teens. "It's morphin time".

"Mastodon"

"Pterodactyl"

"Triceratops"

"Saber-Toothed Tiger"

"Tyrannosaurus"

In a flash of light, the five original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers stood shoulder to shoulder with their successors. Jason moved up to stand next to his fellow red ranger, "Look familiar?" he asked Robo-Goldar.

The cyborg grabbed his head like he was in pain before he bolted upright again. He pulled up his right arm and prepared to fire his missile. But the slot in his armour refused to open, Robo-Goldar shook his arm in frustration. "His weapons systems must be damaged", Billy theorised.

"Then let's going before they have a chance to recover", Tommy stated. "Long handled bladed weapons seem to work the best so Jason, Billy and Zack you're with me, the rest of you stay back and cover us if necessary".

"Use your Zeo pistols and blade blasters, except for you Kim", Jason said to the pink mighty morphin ranger, "try using you Power Bow from a distance to target his weak spots".

"Right", the six distance fighters said.

"Alright let's do this", Zack called out, "Power Axe".

"Power Lance"

"Power Sword"

"Zeo V Power Sword"

The four boys charged in and began to strike at the lower limbs of Robo-Goldar. Billy used the power lance to attack the arms of the cyborg, taking huge chunks out of the gauntlets. He hadn't realised how much he missed being a Power Ranger until this moment. A few seconds later though a firm punch from Robo-Goldar reminded him about the pain and bruises that came with being a ranger.

Zack on the other hand was full of energy. He had been forcibly retired from ranger duty and it felt great to be back in the saddle. Using his power axe, he smashed the outer layer of armour off from Robo-Goldar legs, exposing some circuitry underneath. Rolling around the back he threw the axe in the general direction of Goldar's head, hoping to severe some on the wires on his back. Robo-Goldar dodged his head slightly and the axe missed. He gave the black ranger a stiff backheel, knocking him away from the battle.

Zack though wasn't giving up. By now his power axe had landed back in the snow. He grabbed the weapon and converted it into cannon mode. He fired a blast straight at Robo-Goldar's malfunctioning missile launcher, setting off a chain reaction that destroyed the limb below the elbow joint.

Robo-Goldar roared in agony and this gave the two red rangers an opening. Using their swords they carved chunks of metal plate from the cyborgs malfunctioning armour. The left arm was now virtually useless and it hung limply at his side. Unfortunately the size of Robo-Goldar meant that they couldn't reach his real weak spot, the exposed head and neck.

Under a barrage of laser and arrow fire, Tommy called out to the other three rangers, "Alright lets bring him down to size". Billy and Zack lined up in front of Robo-Goldar's legs and Tommy and Jason were at the rear. The blue and black rangers sliced through the knee joints from the front, whilst the red rangers slashed from behind. They cut clean through the joints and Robo-Goldar struggled to stay balanced. He toppled forward into the snow, landing directly on the severed stumps of his upper legs. The lower legs were left in their upright position where he had been standing.

The four rangers joined back up with their respective teams and surveyed the damage, "It's over Goldar surrender whilst you can", Tommy called out.

"Vengeance", Robo-Goldar called out in a dull robotic voice, "vengeance".

"Look where your attempt at vengeance has got you Goldar", Trini stated, "you've been used as a pawn by the Machine Empire".

Adam stepped forward, "Do you really think Scorpina would want to see you like this?"

The mention of his deceased wife seemed to trigger something inside Goldar. He let out a deep roar before maniacally looking down at his robotic body, "What-what have they done to me?" he bellowed, sounding like the Goldar of old.

"King Mondo used your quest for vengeance as a means to further his battle with us", Adam replied, "He made you this way".

"Let us help you", Jason added, "Zordon and Alpha would surely know a way to reverse the damage done".

"Never", he roared, "if I'm going to die, then I'm taking you all with me". A panel in his stomach opened, revealing a glowing core. Goldar shut his eyes and the core began to burn brighter.

"What's he doing", Kat called over to Billy.

"I believe he's overloading his power circuits", he replied, "if they explode then he'll take half the mountain with him".

"Is there anything we can do?" Rocky called out.

"It might sound crazy but a direct blast from our two team weapons might short circuit the explosive material core", Billy stated. "The downside is that it would mean certain death for Goldar".

Jason and Tommy looked at each other, Goldar may have been an evil being but he had shown the capacity for love, unlike his wife. They always did question Scorpina's love towards Goldar, she never seemed quite so devoted to him as he was to her. Unfortunately the needs of the many outweighed the few, "Alright let's try Billy's plan", Tommy replied.

The Mighty Morphin' Rangers combined their weapons into the power blaster whilst the Zeo rangers called upon the new Zeo cannon. They pointed them directly at Goldar's core, "On my count", Tommy called out, "Three, two, one, fire".

The team fired their weapons and the colourful energy combined into one giant plasma ball. It slammed straight into the core, causing the glow to stop instantly. The process then worked exactly as Billy had predicted, sparks flew off Goldar's robotic body and he convulsed violently. With his final breath he called out, "I'm coming my love", before toppling onto his back and exploding.

The rangers crouched down to shield themselves against falling metal pieces. Once the debris stopped falling, they took a glance over to the spot where Robo-Goldar had fallen. There was nothing left of the cyborg that could be salvaged, he was gone.

With a heavy heart Jason called out to all the rangers, "Come on let's report back to Zordon, then maybe we can get on with our vacation".

_Later That Day_

The group had arrived back at the lodge a couple of hours later and had immediately commandeered the sofa's near the fire. All of them were completely drained from the events of the day. Alpha had taken the power morphers from their owners, the devices had now been returned to their original state of decorative items. Zordon had told the rangers that they probably wouldn't be able to use that method again to charge up the morphers. The drain it had taken on the Zeo rangers could prove too costly in the event of a Machine Empire attack.

As the teens contemplated the day's events, they saw Heather approaching them from the other side of the lodge. Her right arm was in a plaster cast after her tumble earlier but other than that, she appeared to be in good spirits. He waived over to the red ranger and he gave a nervous way back. Sensing that his friend needed to be alone, Jason spoke up, "Err guys we need to go do that thing now don't we".

"Oh yeah that thing", Adam agreed.

Rocky looked confused, "What thing?" Tanya elbowed him hard in the ribs and drew his attention to Heather, "Oh right _that_ thing". The group all stood up and went their separate ways, leaving Tommy alone on the sofa.

"Your friends aren't very subtle are they?" Heather stated as she sat down next to the red ranger.

"Yeah that's the guys for you", he replied, "so how are you doing".

"All things considered not too bad", Heather began, "other than a few bruises oh and my arm here", she held up the cast. "Fractured in two places, this thing has to stay on for the next few weeks".

"Man I'm sorry to hear that", Tommy replied.

An awkward silence descended between the two of them, which the female skier decided to break. "Look Tommy I'll be straight with you, I like you. Since I won't be able to compete for a while I was thinking of taking a break", she paused, "and I here Angel Grove is nice this time of year". She pulled out a piece of paper, "Here's my number, call me in a couple of days and we'll sort something out". She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before standing up and walking away.

Hidden in the corner the lodge, Kim observed the scene with a small tear in her eye. She knew that Tommy wouldn't stay single forever but to see it all play out in front of her was a little too much to take. She took a deep breath to compose herself and went to join the others in the bar area of the lodge. She would be returning to Florida in a few days and probably wouldn't be back until the end of the school year. It gave her plenty of time to think about her feelings for the red ranger before she returned to the city. She tried to reassure herself with something she said to Tommy, if they were truly meant to be, they would find each other again. Obviously that day wasn't today.

_**A/N – **__I hope everyone liked the team up chapter and Goldar really did go down in style. I've taken a bit of break from writing as I've got plenty of chapters ready to upload but I've been feeling a little burned out recently. I'm off on holiday for a week after today so that should recharge the batteries. Thank you for everyone who reviewed the last couple of chapters please keep them coming. _


	13. The Evil That Men Do

_Chapter 13 – The Evil That Men Do_

_January 14 1997 – Angel Grove_

Life was good for the Power Rangers during the first two weeks of the new year. They had spent New Year's Eve up in the mountains with their friends and they had celebrated long into the night. A couple of days later they had said their goodbyes again to Zack and Kimberly, who had returned to San Francisco and Miami respectively.

Once school had started, they began to get a little nervous about graduating from High School. Being in the class of 1997 felt great to say a couple of years ago but it was different now they were in that year. None of the rangers had to worry about not graduating but now was the time of year to finalise their post-school plans. In the back of their minds though was the ever present threat of the Machine Empire. King Mondo hadn't taken the defeat of Robo-Goldar lightly and seemed more determined than ever to defeat the rangers. Barely a day went by without an attack of some kind, the one advantage of having an endless supply of robots.

The rangers were returning from their latest victory over the Machine Empire and were walking through the outskirts of the city. One thing they had learned over the last few months was to not make too many plans. Inevitably as soon as they got into an activity, another attack would be launched. So they had gotten into the habit of walking back from battles, this also doubled as a team building exercise and a chance for them to have a little fun.

"Alright I've got a new game", Rocky began, "anagrams of our names. One of mine is 'stockyard noses'".

Everyone laughed, "Well you got that one right", Adam stated

"Ooh, you could have Karma Pad", Tommy said to the green ranger.

"Mine are a little boring", Kat complained, "hall art kid".

"Better than the one I thought of for me", Tanya mumbled.

Rocky gave her a poke in the shoulder, "You can't say that and not tell us", he looked at the yellow ranger with a coy smile, "it's rude isn't it". Tanya didn't reply but her look of embarrassment told the whole story, "Go on whisper it to me I won't tell", Rocky pleaded. Reluctantly Tanya leaned closer to the blue ranger and whispered her anagram. Immediately Rocky snorted with laugher, "Anal an toys!" he exclaimed.

"Rocky", Tanya shouted and slapped him on the chest.

The other teens laughed, "Tanya you don't look like the type of girl for that", Kat teased. The conversation continued in the same vain for the next fifteen minutes as they got closer to the city center.

Eventually they stopped at a crossroads inside the warehouse district. As they waited for the lights to change two black vans pulled up on either side of the road, blocking the teens in. Out of the vans stepped several large men, all of them wearing dark suits and sunglasses. From the vehicle parked on the opposite side of the road to the teen stepped Colonel Harmon, dressed in his full military uniform.

"Nice day for a walk", he stated.

Tommy's eyes hardened at the sight of the Colonel, "It was until you showed up".

The Colonel took his sunglasses off, "Now now Tommy, I just wanted a friendly chat". He slowly walked in front of the rangers and looked them up and down, "I just wanted to say that your services will no longer be required". He paused to allow that information to sink in, "Your government has finally developed the technology to enable us to counteract any invasion threat".

"You don't know what you're getting yourself in to", Adam stated.

"Don't we Mr Park", Harmon replied, "our agency has been fighting threats like this since before any of you were born. Your actions are classed as vigilantism, therefore, the next time I see any of you in a battle, you will be arrested".

"You can't do that", Rocky shouted.

"I think you'll find that I can", he replied, "US laws and the constitution makes it very clear that vigilantism is not permitted. As citizens you are not above the law".

"What if you're not a US citizen", Kat cheekily fired back.

Colonel Harmon shrugged, "Then I guess you and your family will be on the first plane back to Australia Miss Hillard".

The rangers were stunned into silence. They had heard from the former agents that Colonel Harmon was uncompromising but this was beyond any stories they had been told. To be arrested, and in Kat's case deported, had them all paralysed with fear. The Colonel smirked, "I think this concludes our business here", he stated before walking back to the van, "oh and tell your favourite smoothie maker that we know about the missing equipment as well". With that parting shot he got in the van and the sinister vehicles drove away.

"Can he really do that?" Tanya asked once the vans were out of sight.

Tommy shook his head, "I don't know but we need to talk with Zordon". The others agreed and teleported immediately to the Power Chamber.

_The next day – Angel Grove Youth Center_

Saturday was usually Aimi's busy day at the Youth Center but today was worse than usual. It didn't help that she was by herself today, Cassie was out with her friends for the day down in Stone Canyon. In addition there were more customers that she usually had, perhaps everyone was on a post Christmas diet and shakes were the only thing they could have.

There was currently a lull in the queue so Aimi decided to tidy up the bar area. It was only half way through the day and she was exhausted, she had no idea how Ernie had done this for so long by himself. As she was wiped the counter down, Jason hurried into the Center looking extremely flustered. "Aimi thank goodness I found you".

"Hey Jason, do you want your usual", she asked.

"Maybe in a bit", he replied, "can we go somewhere and talk, privately".

Aimi was confused but she agreed to his request. She led him into the manager's office, which was basically a glorified broom closet. "We've got trouble", the former red ranger began, "big trouble".

"I told the others I'm out of the evil invading aliens game", she replied.

Jason cut across her, "No it's worse than that, the guys had a visit from Colonel Harmon yesterday. He threatened them with arrest if they fought any more monsters. He also knows about your stockpile of equipment".

"What!" Aimi exclaimed, "why didn't you tell me".

"We tried", Jason said defensively, "but you had closed early yesterday". Aimi cursed under her breath, she had run out of ice cream earlier yesterday forcing her to close early. "After the colonel's chat they discussed it with Zordon and they agreed to carry on fighting".

"I heard on the radio that another monster attack happened today", Aimi said fearfully.

Jason nodded, "After the fight Harmon's man picked them up and placed them under arrest", he paused before beginning the next sentence. "Myself, Billy and Trini decided to warning you and Xander personally. They went to his apartment but they were too late, they were only just able to teleport away before they were arrested too".

A sudden feeling of dread filled Aimi as she took a peek into the Youth Center. She noticed that a lot of her customers were males, in their late twenties and very well built. They were also doing a very good job of not bringing attention to themselves. She kicked herself for not seeing it before; Harmon's men were already in position to grab her as well. "Jason we need to get out of here and fast", she stated.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, Aimi took hold of Jason's hand and led him out of the manager's office and into the storeroom. Through there they could use the backdoor and escape into the loading bay. As soon as they opened the door though, they found the only real exit blocked by a large truck. "Looks like they were expecting us", Jason commented.

From out of nowhere two large men tried to grab them. Using their natural fighting instincts, Jason and Aimi threw the pair off before hitting their assailants with an elbow to the face. Another couple of officers dropped down from the roof above. Aimi hit the one nearest to her with a spin kick whilst Jason threw the one closest to him straight into a dumpster.

The rear door opened on the trucks and more armed guards poured out and walked menacingly towards the par. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Aimi turned to Jason, "You need to get out of here", she said and pointed to his communicator.

"I'm not leaving you behind", he replied.

"Now's not the time to play the hero Jason", Aimi stated with gritted teeth. "You, Billy and Trini are the only one's who can save us now".

Jason reluctantly nodded and teleported away in a column of grey light. Aimi slowly dropped to her knees and put her hands behind her head. One of the guards roughly took hold of her arms and

locked a pair of handcuffs on them. Dragging her by the cuffs, she was thrown into the back of the truck. The door was slammed behind her and the truck sped away towards a secure facility.

_Power Chamber_

Jason landed in the chamber and was greeted by a worried Billy and Trini. The three former rangers consoled each other regarding their lack of success, "I couldn't save her", Jason began, "they knew where we were and they were ready for us".

Trini sighed, "What are we going to do now Zordon?"

"This is a dark time", Zordon began, "unfortunately I am at a loss as to our next course of action. Without the Power Rangers, Earth will be defenceless again King Mondo's forces".

"What about our old morphers", Billy began, "any chance there's a little bit of power left in them".

"Unfortunately not", Zordon replied, "all the power that was transferred into them was used up to defeat Robo-Goldar".

Billy sighed, "I hate to say this but we just have to hope that Colonel Harmon really does have something to protect the Earth with".

"Just as important we need to work out how to get the others out of prison", Trini added.

Just then the Power Chamber's alarms went off. On the viewing globe, the Machine Empire's latest monster was stomping its way through the financial district of Angel Grove. "Great just what we need", Jason commented.

Suddenly the teens caught a surprising sight on the viewing globe. They had to double check just to make sure they weren't seeing thing, "Is that…" Billy began.

"It would appear so Billy", Zordon began, "it appears this is Colonel Harmon's new weapon against the Machine Empire".

"I don't believe it", Jason exclaimed, "will it work", he asked Zordon. The lack of response from the sage though told it's own story.

_NFSA Holding Facility_

The five rangers, along with Xander, had been placed together in the same holding cell. It was a small room with just a padded bench to sit on. The cell had no windows, other than a small one in the door. On one of the walls sat a large screen television. Everyone sat in absolute silence, still in shock that the Colonel had followed through on his threat. The silence was broken by the sound of an electronic beeping and the door opened. Aimi was roughly pushed through the opening and the door slammed shut behind her, "Your service sucks do you know that", he called out.

"Got you too then", Tommy asked.

"Yeah, Jason got away though. Hopefully he's thinking of a way to get us out of here", she replied. Everyone on the benches budged up slightly to allow Aimi to sit next to Xander. The couple gave each a quick hug and kiss before Aimi rested her head on his shoulders.

"Did you know this could happen?" Rocky asked to the two former agents.

Xander shook his head, "No, well nothing definite anyway", he began. "I mean there was always the possibility that the shady government agency could try and make people disappear".

"I think what my boyfriend is trying to say is that we didn't know it was going to happen", Aimi added. "I do wonder what Harmon's secret weapon is though".

Suddenly the television switched itself on, "Funny you should say that Miss Miyamoto", Colonel Harmon stated.

Aimi's head shot up off Xander's shoulders, "When I get out of here I'm going to take great satisfaction in breaking every bone in your body".

"Join the queue", Tommy added.

The Colonel just laughed, "Who says you're getting out of here".

A thought then came across Aimi's mind, "Is that what happened to Kris", she asked, "we haven't seen him for nearly a year now".

Harmon's face darkened at the mention of their former boss, "I would prefer not to talk about Mr Hightower".

Aimi smirked, "He escaped didn't he".

Colonel Harmon grumbled, "After the incident at the ranger's base he brokered a deal with us. His freedom for yours and Mr McBride's", he began. "In June last year one of the guards went to his cell and he wasn't there. No obvious sign of escape, he just simply disappeared and there's been no trace since that day".

"How do we know you didn't bump him off secretly?" Adam asked.

"He's not lying", Aimi replied, "I can tell". The thought of Harmon losing a prisoner gave her a smug feeling inside and she couldn't help but smile.

"I don't think you're really in a position to judge our failures", Harmon fired back, "especially when we've secured the safety of Earth for generations to come".

The image on the television changed and showed a giant monster attacking the city. Suddenly they were shot by a laser blast from off screen. Initially the rangers though that the others had been able to get the zords to operate remotely. They were in for a surprise when they saw the source of the laser fire. The vehicles didn't have any colours, apart from the natural steel, but there was no mistaking what they were.

"They're our old Thunderzords", Tommy exclaimed as her saw the tigerzord in warrior mode strike the monster. Standing to it was a version of the Thunder Megazord.

"Do you like them", Harmon taunted, "we salvaged enough of the wreckage to be able to reverse engineer them. It's taken two years to find a way to power them but we've finally succeeded. No need for a mystical powers source, just good old fashioned American engineering". He gave his captors one final smile, "How does it feel to be redundant?" he taunted before turning the television off.

The group looked at each other with worried expressions and they all had the same thought. The power rangers were finished and they would spend their days in a dark cell were no one would ever find them.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

_**A/N – **__Yup Harmon's finally flipped and it's the rangers in the firing line. This chapter and the one that follows will lead to a major shake up in how the government interacts with the Power Rangers and also (indirectly) set up the next story. Will Colonel Harmon get away with this? You'll just have to wait until next time..._


	14. Man On The Edge

_Chapter 14 – Man On The Edge_

_January 15 1997 – Agency Holding Facility _

Several hours after their initial imprisonment, the rangers and the two former agents had yet to hear from Colonel Harmon again. Instead everyone had descended in a series of awkward conversations and uncomfortable silences. The lack of information was killing the group and they desperately wanted to know what was going on in the outside world. "I can't take this anymore", Xander announced. He got up from the bench and made his way over to the television. He examined the back and side of the device, looking for any hidden panels.

"What are you looking for", Kat asked.

"This is basically just a TV, so in theory we should be able to turn it back on", he replied. After a few minutes, he realised there wasn't any obvious way or switching on the television. In frustration he pulled the television clean off the wall.

"Xander, you'll trip the alarms", Aimi cried.

"That's what I'm hoping for", he smiled, "if Harmon is watching then he'll have to reactivate the TV".

"Or send more of his goons", Rocky added.

The minutes seemed to take forever to pass, although without a clock it was hard to tell. It must have been a good fifteen minutes after Xander's petty act of vandalism when a thought dawned on them, "No one's coming are they?" Tommy stated.

"That can only mean one thing", Aimi began, "something is seriously wrong outside. That's the only reason that Harmon would stop monitoring us".

"Even more important to get this thing working", Xander replied. With the television off the wall, he could get at the manual controls at the back. With a push of the power button the device warmed up and turned itself on. The group gathered around the television and on the screen was the room where Colonel Harmon had taunted them from earlier. The room was empty but the distant sound of a siren could be heard in the background.

"Sirens are never good", Tommy began, "could it just be a general monster alarm though?"

"Possibly", Aimi began, "could also be an alert stating that someone reactivated the link". The sound of shouting suddenly came through the speakers. They couldn't make out all of the conversation but the general gist of the argument was that something had gone terribly wrong.

"Can we get any other channels on this thing?" Adam asked.

Xander was already one step ahead of the green ranger and he had pulled a couple of wires out of the back of the television. A couple of button pushes later, the picture changed to a rolling news channel. He placed the television back on the wall and stood back with the others and watched the news anchor on screen.

"Good evening America, I'm Mary Ann Jackson. Our top story tonight is continuing coverage of the ongoing events in Angel Grove. Earlier this morning government officials announced the creation of new weapons in the on-going fight against the Machine Empire". The image changed to shots of the rebuild Thunderzords battling against Mondo's latest monster.

"Unfortunately tragedy struck later in the day when the new fleet of government backed zords went out of control". The next scene was some shaky hand-held camera footage showing the recreated white tigerzord randomly attacking a building in the financial district. The cameraman was clearly running away as the footage showed the camera pointing straight at the ground. The sound of falling rubble and screaming could also be heard.

"The zords succeeded in destroying the monster but they could not be deactivated and continued their rampage throughout the financial and later on the residential districts. All attempts to bring the machines under control failed". Some footage showed the zords literally walking in a straight line, crushing everything under foot. Office blocks, cars, road and houses, all of them were destroyed without hesitation.

"This is awful", Tanya said out loud.

"I don't think I can watch this anymore", Rocky added as he turned away from the screen.

"The machines didn't stop until a major malfunction caused them to self-destruct". The images showed the zords literally falling apart, similar to the way they were originally destroyed. "Fortunately this happened far outside of the city, otherwise the death toll could have been much higher. Officials have yet to comment on the situation, nor has an official statement on the number of causalities been given".

Xander pulled the television off the wall and let it smash to the ground. "We need to get you out of here", he said to the rangers.

"Any suggestions?" Tommy asked.

"If I had some tools with me I could do it in a flash", he replied. "Unfortunately I don't so it looks like we're going to have to MacGyver our way out of here". He left the sparking television on the floor and set about finding a weakness in the steel door.

A bit further down in the detention block, a sudden flash of light illuminated the hallway. When the light had cleared, a female had appeared in the middle of the corridor. She was wearing beige combat trousers and black boots. A black leather jacket which set off her flaming red hair completed her look.

After placing a hand held device in her jacket pocket, she slowly made her way through the corridor. After passing a couple of doors, she flashed a keycard through the scanner and the door opened. Inside the small room sat an unmarked silver briefcase. The woman opened the case up and inside it were the five ranger's zeonisers. She closed the case and headed out the door and back down the corridor.

The woman turned the corner and into the main part of the detention block. She smiled when she reached her target door and once again, she swiped her keycard through the reader. The door opened and Xander tumbled into the corridor, "Wow, I'm better than I thought", he stated.

The woman laughed, "Yeah you wish", she replied. She looked over the five teenagers with a smile, "So you guys must be the Power Rangers", she asked.

Tommy stepped forward and eyed the woman suspiciously, "Depends who's asking"

The mystery female opened the briefcase, "Someone who's returning your morphers so you can stop that despot Harmon".

Not wanting to turn this opportunity down, the rangers quickly strapped their morphers back onto their wrists before the woman had a chance to take them away from them. "You won't be able to teleport out of the detention block as they've found a way to interfere with your teleportation signals. The only way out is straight down the corridor on the right. Once you're outside you should be in the clear".

Tommy nodded in thanks and led his team out of the cell, leaving Xander and Aimi behind. They both looked at the woman with confusion and also a hint of recognition. They knew they had seen her face somewhere before, "I know I look familiar but there's no time for explanations now", the woman began. "My guess is that Harmon about to escape and it'll be up to you to stop him". She gave them her keycard and pointed them door the opposite corridor that the rangers went down. "In the research department you'll find a man by the name of Mitchell, he's against Harmon so he'll help you arrest him".

Aimi snapped her fingers, "Wait a sec, I know who you are".

The mystery woman gave her and Xander a nudge out the door, "No time now, quickly you need to get to the control room". The two former agents did as they were told and sprinted down the corridor.

When they were out of sight, the woman pulled her hand held device out of her jacket pocket. "Control this is Dixon here", she began, "mission successful, permission to return to Earth Prime". The device buzzed in acknowledgement and in a flash she was gone.

Further down the complex, Colonel Harmon scampered through the corridors. The blame for the devastation caused in Angel Grove would solely rest with him. Not wanting to be caught and subject to a court martial and a lengthy jail sentence, he had to get out of the building before the military police found him.

As he turned a corner he barely had enough time to register that Aimi and Xander were blocking his escape before the Japanese former agent pounced. She swung her leg and connected with a solid roundhouse to Colonel Harmon jaw. The blow knocked him out immediately and he collapsed to the floor in a heap.

"Man that felt good", Aimi cheered.

"Did you have to knock him out", Xander began, "I didn't get a chance to get a shot in".

Aimi rolled her eyes, "Stop your whining and help me drag him to a holding cell".

Xander sighed and grabbed Harmon by the arms and began to drag him away. He smiled as he 'accidentally' lost his grip and let the Colonel's head bash on the floor. Content that he had got some measure of revenge as well, he waiting for the police to come and take Harmon away.

_One Week Later – Angel Grove Youth Center_

It had been a busy week in the city of Angel Grove. Public opinion was fully against the government and there had been a nationwide outcry about their rampaging zords, especially when someone leaked the fact that the rangers had been arrested. Xander felt pretty smug that he had been able to get a measure of revenge on his former employer by being the anonymous source.

To help the healing process, the rangers had been in high level discussions as to what to do next. Even though their arrest had been largely politically motivated, Harmon was right. In the eyes of the law they were a vigilante group operating outside of any form of control. After several long nights an agreement had been reached, leading to a live television announcement by the President . The Youth Center had opened its doors so as many people as possible could witness history in the making.

At the back of the main room stood, Jason, Billy, Trini and the rangers, except for Tommy. He had a special part to play in today's announcement. Also at the back of the room but slightly away from the teens, were Aimi and Xander. At that moment Cassie appeared from behind the bar with a couple of her friends in two. One of them, Carlos, called over to the ranger teens, "Hey where's Tommy, I didn't think he'd want to miss this".

"Oh yeah watching it with his parents", Rocky replied, "they didn't feel comfortable letting him out after recent events".

Aimi laughed when she overheard the conversation, "They really need to work on their excuses".

On the television, an official appeared on the screen, "Ladies and gentleman, the President of the United States".

The President approached one of the stands and began to address the nation, "My fellow Americans, I speak to you today to try and heal some of the wounds that were opened by my government's actions in the city of Angel Grove. We thought that we could protect this planet against the alien invaders without any form of outside assistance, unfortunately we were wrong". He paused briefly before continuing, "The events in Angel Grove last week were performed by a handful of individuals without my prior knowledge or consent. However as they were employees of my administration, I accept the responsibility of their actions".

There was a murmuring of agreement within the gathered crowd in the Youth Center. "I speak to you today to announce amendments to the constitution relating to the Power Rangers. A new law will be passed authorising the Power Rangers to take any action deemed necessary to repel any invading force. Sole responsibility for the protection of Earth will be in their hands".

A round of applause came from the crowd inside the Youth Center, so loud that they missed the President announce the appearance of the red Zeo ranger. The crowd quietened down as Tommy began to speak, "People of America and of Earth", he began, "I have accepted the Presidents reassurance that the events of last week will not be repeated and that the people responsible will be brought to justice". Xander snorted, he knew that Harmon would try and wriggle his way out of the charges somehow. He would reserve judgement until he saw that egotistical megalomaniac behind bars for a long time.

"On behalf of my team and any other team of Power Rangers that may follow us, I accept the responsibility of Earth's Defenders. I also look forward to working with the government of the United States and any other government around the world to help eradicate the forces of evil".

This announcement went over well with the gathered crowds with cheering and clapping that went on for a couple of minutes. As Aimi and Xander were joining in with the celebrations, a man approached them from the side. He was in his early forties with a moustache and a beret fixed to his balding head, "I see you like the news", the man said.

"Captain Mitchell", Aimi greeted, "I hear congratulations are in order".

Captain William Mitchell smiled, "My promotion to the head of the NFSA is largely down to you two", he replied. "If you hadn't caught Harmon when he tried to escape I would probably still be stuck in my old department".

"What's going to happen to our former boss?" Xander asked.

"We're not sure yet", Captain Mitchell replied, "The list of crimes he committed could see him locked away for the rest of his life".

There was a long pause after he finished that statement, "I sense there's a but coming", Aimi stated.

Captain Mitchell sighed, "He didn't get to the top of a major government organisation without gaining some powerful allies. My guess is that he'll escape prison and they'll pay him to just disappear somewhere".

"Not really justice is it?" Xander said.

"That's politics for you", was Mitchell's reply, "you'll be pleased to hear I'm not going to play those sort of games. My job is to flush out any of Harmon's supporters and get this agency back on the right track". He paused to look over the two former agents, "My offer still stands you know".

"We're flattered but we're happy being out of the game", Xander replied and Aimi nodded in agreement.

"Shame", he replied, "I heard that you two were amongst the best". He paused for thought before continuing, "We always have the need for civilian consultants".

The couple looked at each other, while it was true that they didn't miss field work, they were lacking some excitement from their careers. "We'll think about it", Xander replied.

Captain Mitchell smiled, "That's all I can ask. Now I think you have customers to serve so I'll take my leave".

The two former agents watched the new head of the agency leave the Youth Center. He had given them something to think about and if they were honest, his offer intrigued them. They took one last look at the television where the President was shaking hands with Tommy, signifying an exciting new era for Earth. Could they really miss out on being part of that?

The experience had also left an unanswered question, the identity of the mystery woman. A quick check in their files confirmed Aimi's initial suspicions, the woman bore an uncanny resemblance to Anna Dixon, Kris' deceased fiancée. There was no record of her having a twin so how could a supposedly dead woman rescue them from prison. Perhaps returning to the agency would allow them to answer that question.

_**A/N –**__ So there we go, Harmon had been official dethroned and won't be causing any problems...for now at least. I decided to bring Captain Mitchell from Lightspeed Rescue into the story as the new agency head. From watching the show, it seems like he's had (bad) experience with the government before setting out on his own. He needed to get some ranger experience so what better way to do it then this._

_Since I started this series, I've had a few reviewers mention "Hexagon" and will the series end with this. The answer to that is yes and no. I plan on using elements of Hexagon once story 5 is done but it won't be exactly the same. I'm still working out the final details so I won't say too much more, other than keep reading to find out._


	15. Brothers In Arms

_Chapter 15 – Brothers In Arms_

_January 29 1997 – Power Chamber, Zord Hangar_

Billy Cranston sat staring at his laptop, his face a mask of concentration. Today was the day that he would get to test his latest creation. After the self-destruction of the agencies versions of the Thunderzords, the rangers had commandeered the debris for themselves. This was part of their agreement with the President before he signed what the press had called 'the ranger amendment' into law.

The young genius had studied the remains carefully and found that the zords had been very well engineered. Their only failing was the unstable nature of their power source. Without the stabilising influence of the morphing grid, it was inevitable that they would fail. An initial failure caused a loss of remote control, then the final explosive destruction.

The sudden surplus of metal and electrical components had given Billy an idea. Since the visit of the Aquitian rangers he had an idea to create a zord that was controlled by a ranger's thoughts. He had considered doing this when the Zeo zords were created, however, the need to have the vehicles ready as soon as possible had put the idea on the back burner. Now though without the distraction of school, he was free to let his creative side run wild.

After several long nights the red battle zord had been designed and completed. Engineered to be operated by a single ranger, it was as strong as the Zeo megazord. Whilst any ranger could operate the zord, Billy and Zordon had decided that Tommy would be the primary pilot. As Billy performed his final tests, the red ranger got him comfortable in the driver's seat. Due to the telepathic nature of the control system, Zordon had invited Delphine and Cestro of the Aquitian rangers to offer their insight.

"Alright Tommy all checks have been completed", Billy stated into the radio, "I'm beginning the start up sequence".

"I must say Billy this is very advanced engineering", Delphine stated, "it took our scientists decades to be able to create something like it".

Billy blushed with embarrassment, "Thank you butif it wasn't for your battleborgs I wouldn't have had my moment of inspiration".

"My only concern is whether Tommy will be able to keep himself focused for long enough", Cestro stated. "Our biological makeup gives us greater control over our emotions than a human".

"I guess there's only one way to find out", Billy replied before turning back to the radio, "Alright Tommy in your own time".

On the monitors they saw the red battlezord slowly lumbering out of the zord bay, smashing into a support beam on the way. After that bad start the test run didn't get much better. The zord jerked out of control before it stumbled and fell on a large rock. Before Billy could instruct the red ranger further, he noticed that the zords weapons systems were activating themselves.

"He's losing emotional control", Delphine called out, "brain activity is spiking".

Fearful of damage to the zord and to Tommy, Billy hit a large red button that immediately cut the power. He sighed in frustration before calling Tommy on the radio, "I've shut down the power to the zord Tommy", he began, "I've activated the emergency retrieval system to return the zord to the hangar. Stay put until you've been returned back to us".

Billy looked at the white and blue Aquitian rangers, trying to find some answers from them, "Any idea what when wrong?"

"Sadly it is as I feared", Cestro began, "Tommy may be too emotional to control a zord in this way".

"He will need to learn to control himself mentally before you can use the red battlezord in a combat situation", Delphine added.

The doors to the control room opened and a very frustrated Tommy walked inside. The look in his eyes said that he had a lot on his mind. Sensing that the two humans needed to have a talk, Delphine stepped forward, "We will leave you two to catch up", she began, "Cestro and I will remain on Earth to rehydrate, please contact us when you are ready to try again".

The two Aquitians teleported away, leaving Billy and Tommy alone in the control room, "The systems failed because the telepathic systems were overloaded". He paused before continuing, "If there's anything you need to talk about I'm here".

Tommy sighed, "It's just been a really busy few weeks", he replied slightly robotically. He glanced over and saw that Billy wasn't taking that excuse. He sighed and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, "We've been given our final assignment for biology class, it's about genealogy and our heritage". He paused and took a deep breath before continuing, "I've never told anyone this but I'm adopted".

Billy was stunned but not overly surprised. He had met Mr and Mrs Oliver a few times, they had been very nice people but they didn't bear too much of a physical resemblance to Tommy. "I've known that I was adopted for as long as I can remember", the red ranger continued, "while I've been intrigued about my birth parents, I've never really given it much thought until now".

"Can I ask, what happened to your birth parents?" Billy asked.

Tommy nodded, "Car accident", he stated simply. "When my Mom was pregnant with me, my Dad was driving her to the hospital for a regular check up. At a crossing a car on the other side of the road jumped the lights and slammed straight into my parents car". He paused to try and regain his composure, "Dad was killed instantly, the paramedics and doctors were able to keep Mom alive long enough to save my life but she died soon afterwards".

"That's terrible" Billy replied, "I can see why this project would stir up all of those old emotions".

"There's more to it", Tommy replied, "when I started researching this project I decided to do some research into my biological parents. Turns out they were members of a Native American tribe, and that I had a grandfather who was still alive". The red ranger fiddled with the piece of paper in his hand, "I wrote to my grandfather, Sam Trueheart, and I got this response this morning".

Billy took the piece of out of Tommy hands and he began to read. When he got to the bottom of the page, his eyes went wide, "You have an older brother", he exclaimed.

"I know", Tommy replied, "now I don't know what to do. I want to discover my heritage but I don't know what my adopted parents will say. Also I don't know why my grandfather didn't take me in, what if I find out that he never wanted me".

The former blue ranger thought about his response for a couple of moments, "It may sound easy for me to say but I think you need to speak with this Sam Trueheart. Until you do then you'll continue suffer from these negative thoughts". He handed the letter back to Tommy, "It might not be easy to begin with but at least you'll finally have some answers".

Tommy smiled, "Thanks man, if it's ok with you I'll head off for the day and contact Sam".

"That's fine", Billy replied, "I need to check out the systems with Delphine and Cestro before we do another test run".

"Alright I'll catch you later", Tommy then teleported away from the Power Chamber, leaving Billy to begin his inspection of the red battlezords systems.

_The next day_

Tommy had spoken with Sam Trueheart and arranged to meet him at his home on a nearby reservation. As he drove through the desert towards the meeting spot, he tried to imagine what his grandfather's home would look like. If he was honest, he didn't know much about the lifestyles of modern Native Americans. When he arrived at the reservation he was pleasantly surprised. It was a small town with modern single storey houses and a few small local shops. It was like an oasis in the middle of the desert.

The red ranger parked his truck outside a shop and had a good look around. There was a small convenience store and a hairdressers on one side of the road. On the other side were a few restaurants and a small gym. Tommy was so busy absorbing everything in that he didn't hear a female voice from behind him, "Hi can I help you", she called out.

When Tommy didn't reply she tapped in on the shoulder. He spun around in surprise and saw a petite woman smiling back at him. She was in her mid twenties with long dark hair and tanned skin. She was also wearing loose fitting workout gear, "You look lost", she said.

"Yeah I kinda am", Tommy replied, "I'm looking for Sam Trueheart's place".

"Ah you must be Tommy", she replied, "Sam said that you'd be stopping by today". Tommy looked at her in surprise and she laughed in response, "It's a small town, news travels fast around here. Sam lives just down the street third house on the right".

"Alright thanks", Tommy responded.

"You're welcome", she replied, "Now I'm going to hit the gym, I'll catch you later Tommy, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other". She ran across the street in the direction of the gym, "Oh I'm Amelia by the way", she called back to the red ranger. When she reached the entrance of the gym she met a man with long brown hair but his face was obscured from view.

Tommy followed Amelia's instructions and continued down the street until he found Sam Trueheart's place. He was about to knock on the door when a voice called out from inside, "Come on in, the doors open".

He twisted the knob and stepped into the house. The place was sparsely furnished but it had a number of knick knacks and photos on the wall. Tommy was drawn to the one in the center of the room, it was a picture of a young couple with a small boy. He immediately saw the family resemblance, it had to be his birth parents and his older brother.

"They were the light of my lives", an elderly sounding voice said from beside him, "it was the saddest day of my life when I found out about the accident".

Tommy turned to face the voice and saw an elderly man with long white hair. He was wearing a brown suede jacket with dark jeans. He offered Tommy a kind smile, "I can see you father in you", the man added, "I'm Sam Trueheart", he offered his hand to Tommy.

"Hi I'm Tommy", he replied and shook Sam's hand, "but I get the feeling you knew that".

"Oh I see many things", Sam replied cryptically, "but we have much to discuss". He led Tommy to a couple of chairs in the front room, "I guess the reason you're here is because you want some answers". Tommy nodded, "Well I guess we should start with the day of your parent's accident. We have many things in this town but sadly a hospital isn't one of them. Until recently we didn't really have any means of contacting anyone outside of our community".

Sam poured himself a cup of tea and then offered one to Tommy. "When your parents didn't return I set out to try and find out what happened to them. But it was hard without any reliable means of communication. By the time I made it to the hospital your parents were already dead. As I was next of kin it would have my responsibility to take you in". Sam sighed before he continued with his story, "The decision I made still haunts me to this day. I'm an old man Tommy and as you might be able to tell not a very rich man. Unfortunately I had neither the wealth nor the health to raise both you and David. When the hospital staff told me that they were about to offer you to a family that couldn't have any children of their own, I decided it would be better for you to go with them. They would be able to offer the life that I couldn't offer you".

The old man placed his cup back on the table, "I have missed you every single day since I made that decision and I can only hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive this old man".

Tommy didn't know what to say initially. Sam had only done what he thought was best at the time and he could see the remorse in the old man's eyes, "Of course I forgive you, without question". He stood up and gave his grandfather a hug.

Sam Trueheart let out a few tears of relief, "Thank you Tommy, you don't know how happy this makes me".

For the next couple of hours, Sam showed Tommy some pictures of his parents and also of his older brother. David was six years older than Tommy and owned the town's local store. He also helped his grandfather organise exhibitions about Native American culture. Tommy told Sam all about his time at school and also his budding racing career. It surprised Tommy to see that Sam had taken several clippings out of the paper regarding the red rangers racing exploits so far.

"Alright Tommy I think it's about time I introduced you to David", Sam stated. He led Tommy out of his house and down the street towards the gym he saw earlier.

Once inside he saw the woman who helped him out earlier, "Hey Tommy I see you found Sam's place", Amelia stated.

Tommy nodded but Sam jumped in front of him before he could speak, "I see that you've met David's fiancée, Amelia already".

"Told you we'll be seeing a lot more of each other", she replied with a smile.

"Yeah she told me where you lived", Tommy replied, "so do you own this place".

"Technically I just run it", Amelia responded, "the community all contribute towards the rent and equipment. I act as the general manager and also the personal trainer". She looked over to the corner of the room, "David's over there, why don't you go say hello".

Tommy nodded and saw a shadow behind a punching bag. He smiled that his older brother was also interested in martial arts. He slowly made his way to the corner of the room as Sam and Amelia observed from the distance. Tommy cleared his throat to get David's attention, "Erm hi", he said nervously.

David grabbed the punching bag to stop it from moving and took his first look at his brother. It was uncanny the resemblance they had to each other, even down to the same hair style. "Long time no see little bro", David smiled.

This simple statement was too much for Tommy and he emotionally embraced his older brother. As the red ranger hugged his long lost brother, observed by his grandfather and future sister-in-law, his finally felt like he was home. He loved the Oliver's and they would always be his parents but it wasn't the same as having blood relatives around. And after nearly eighteen years, Tommy had finally found his true family.

_**A/N – **__My version of Tommy meeting his real family for the first time. Few changes made to canon mainly for emotional impact, like Tommy being directly related to Sam. As the Zeo quest didn't happen in my universe, the original canon storyline of "Tommy recognising Sam from his vision quest" wouldn't have worked. I also added the Amelia character as her and David's wedding will play an important part in the finale of this story_


	16. Blood Brothers

_Chapter 16 – Blood Brothers_

_February 1 1997 – Angel Grove Park_

A few days after his first meeting with his brother, Tommy had decided to bring David into the city to meet some of his friends. Despite having never met each other before, they were surprised to find that they shared a number of common interests. In particular they both shared a love of martial arts and motor sports. Tommy planned to take his brother down to the racetrack later that day but first he was showing him around the park.

After paying a visit to Ernie's restaurant down by the lake, the brothers were walking up the hill in the middle of the park when Tommy saw Adam and Tanya practicing their martial arts moves. The yellow ranger had made great improvements in her fighting skills over the last few months after taking some of Cassie's classes at the Youth Center. Since the New Year, Adam had taken it upon himself to show her some more advanced moves. Secretly the others believed that the there had been an ulterior motive from the green ranger and there was possibly a spark of attraction between the two of them.

The two brothers watched from a distance as Adam ducked under an attempted roundhouse kick from the yellow ranger. Quick as a flash he grabbed the leg and held the point of his elbow to her throat. She tried to struggle free but she didn't have enough leverage and after a few seconds, she was forced to tap out.

"Damn it", Tanya exclaimed as she rubbed her throat, "I nearly had you that time".

"Part of martial arts is not getting yourself that position in the first place", Adam replied. "Your kick was an all or nothing move, another day it probably would have taken my head off. However the majority of the time it will leave yourself open to a counterattack".

"Well said Sensei", Tommy joked as he made himself known to the pair for the first time. He led his brother further up the hill until they were next to the duo.

Tanya smiled as the red ranger approached, "Hey Tommy and this must be David", she greeted.

Tommy nodded, "David I'd like you to meet two of my best friends, Adam and Tanya".

David raised his hand to greet the teens, "Hey guys Tommy told me a lot about you", he then addressed Adam, "I still think it would be possible to get you on your back from your earlier position".

"I've heard you're a keen martial artist", Adam began, "lets see what you can do". David nodded and stepped onto the training mat, removing his shoes as he did so. They bowed to each other and began to slowly circle the mat. Just as Tanya had done, David aimed a roundhouse kick at the green ranger. As before Adam was able to catch it but before he could get his elbow into position, David had hopped a couple of times before swinging his free leg in the direction of Adam's head. The green ranger ducked out the way but in the process he released David's leg. When both his feet were back on the ground, David swept Adam's leg out from under him. The green ranger fell flat on his back, defeated.

"That's a good grip you have there", David complimented, "didn't think you were going to let me go".

"Thanks", Adam coughed as he tried to catch his breath, "looks like you beat me fair and square".

David offered his hand to the green ranger and pulled him onto his feet, "I'll be happy to show you that move if you'd like".

The green ranger nodded and the pair started getting some practice in. Tanya stood to one side next to Tommy and watched them at work, "He's really good", Tanya commented.

Tommy nodded, "He practices pretty much every day, probably helps when his fiancée runs a gym".

"Bet it must be good to have him around", Tanya stated.

The red ranger thought about this for a moment before responding, "There were several moments in my life when I wondered if I had any family. When I was younger I thought about it I was really angry, if I had a family why didn't they take me in?" He looked over to his brother, who once again had knocked Adam flat on his back, "Now after listening to Sam's explanation, I look at my brother and think would he be the same person if my grandfather had taken me in as well".

"And would you be the same Tommy Oliver", Tanya added, "maybe keeping you two apart was the best thing in the long run".

Just then a large portal opened up near them and out stepped King Mondo and large platoon of cogs, "Great what do those things want".

"Ah great to see you three again", Mondo began, "unfortunately I don't want any of you, I'm more interested in your new friend".

"You leave my brother out of this", Tommy called out.

"Brother?" Mondo responded, "well this makes it even more interesting", he then turned his attention to the cogs, "well don't just stand there, get them".

"David you need to get out of here", Tommy shouted over to his brother.

"There's no way I'm letting these guys harm my little bro", David replied and dived head first into the robots. Tommy immediately paired up after his brother with Tanya and Adam bringing up the rear. The zeo crystal had enhanced their strength over the last few months to a point where they could defeat the cogs without the need to morph. They were still extremely challenging and full concentration would be required, protecting a civilian wouldn't help with that. In addition as they were top of a hill, there weren't too many weapons to assist them.

Tanya and Adam teamed up to take out a couple of cogs with simultaneous straight kicks. As the robots fell apart, they each picked a loose arm and used them to dismantle another couple of cogs.

David meanwhile was fighting like a man possessed. In quick succession he had destroyed one cog with a roundhouse kick, before knocking another two out the way with a split kick. Unfortunately he didn't have enhanced strength from the zeo crystal so the one's he attacked kept coming back for more. Tommy tried to work his way across but there were too many cogs to fight off by himself. With the green and yellow rangers preoccupied, he was David's only hope of rescue.

"Looks like I chose the right person to be my new personal warrior", Mondo called out. With a swing of his staff he immobilised the young man so the cogs could grab hold of him easily.

"No you can't have him", Tommy shouted as he pushed the cogs away that were near him. King Mondo opened a portal and pushed David through with the cogs following close behind. Making a run for it, Tommy sprinted after the machine king and dived for the portal. He made it through just as the portal sealed shut.

"Tommy" Adam called out and he kicked the turf in frustration, "I can't believe he did that".

"It's family", Tanya stated simply, "come on we need to go tell the others". With a push on their communicators, the two teens teleported to the Power Chamber.

_Power Chamber_

The four remaining rangers gathered around Billy as he frantically tried to locate Tommy's signal. So far all the reading were coming up negative. He had even tried to increase the power to his laptop to boost the receiver but even that hadn't turned up any results. "Looks like King Mondo learned his lesson from last time", Billy stated, "he must be doing something to block Tommy's ranger signature". The technical genius had used the same technique when Tommy and Kimberly had been kidnapped a few months ago with successful results.

"So now what do we do?" Rocky asked the group.

"It is quite likely that King Mondo has taken Tommy and his brother up to their base on the Moon", Zordon stated. "It is out of reach of our scanners and the latent interference from the Machine Empires equipment will make it hard for us to get a signal".

"Can we really sit around and do nothing?" Kat stated.

"For now Katherine I'm afraid we are going to have to", Zordon replied.

"We simply don't have enough data on the Machine Empire still to break through their defences", Billy added. "With Rita and Zedd we had years of our experiences plus Zordon's past knowledge to draw on but we don't have that luxury with Mondo". He saw the glum looking expressions on his friends faces, "I feel the same way guys but there's nothing I can do".

The rangers slumped against the consoles as a wave of dread crashed over them. For the time being Tommy and his brother had to rely on their wits to keep them going, wherever they were.

_Moon Base_

Tommy slowly came to and not for the first time, he found himself in a small cramped cell. It was the third time in the space of four months and the red ranger was getting a little sick of getting kidnapped or arrested. He located the door and to his relief, the lock would be easy to shoot out with his Zeo pistol, assuming that he could morph of course.

He tried to use his communicator but there was no response or signal. In desperation he called upon his zeonisers and much to his relief, they appeared on his wrists. Deciding to give morphing a try he called out, "It's morphin' time"

"Zeo Ranger V Red"

In a flash he had transformed into his red ranger form. As he admired himself, he had to wonder why Mondo hadn't placed an inhibiting field on the cell like he did when he tried to drown Tommy. The other reason he could think of was that the machine king hadn't been expecting his presence this time. Maybe Mondo had also expected him to be unconscious for longer. Whatever the reason, Tommy wasn't going to let this opportunity pass him by. He called upon his Zeo pistol and shot the lock off the door.

He needed to track down David as soon as possible. He had seen the monstrosity the Machine Empire created with Robo-Goldar and he didn't want that to happen to his brother. Moving quickly through the corridors he occasionally had to stop to avoid any cogs that were on patrol.

After walking for a few minutes, he found what looked to be an operating theatre. Peering through a small window he saw his brother strapped to a table. A number of robotic arms whirled around but so far, they hadn't inflicted any damage. Deciding not to wait around, Tommy called on his Zeo power sword and went straight on the offense. He sliced through several cogs that were guarding the main entrance before he charged into the room.

Inside Klank and Price Sprocket were observing a monitor at the side of the operating table. When Tommy entered they immediately started backing away. "How did you get in here?" Sprocket asked before turning to the chief footman to the throne, "this is all your fault".

"But your highness I wasn't in charge of security", Klank protested. Tommy didn't want to hear them bickering all day, so he decided to shut them up. Using his sword he drove it straight through Klank's chest compartment and pinned him to the console that was standing near. Klank continued to move his arms indicating that Tommy hadn't severed anything major.

Almost in one fluid motion he pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the heir to the Machine Empire throne, "I'll be taking my brother back now", he stated.

"But he's my experiment", Sprocket whined.

In anger Tommy shot off his weapon just over the head of Sprocket, "David is not your personal plaything", he seethed, "now get out of here before your father needs to build a new heir".

Not needing a second invitation, the young prince quickly scampered away. The red ranger pulled his sword out of Klank and the robot slumped to the ground. He sliced through the restrains holding his brother to the table. David slowly came to as Tommy helped him away and out of the door, "A power ranger?" he mumbled, "wait my brother's here too".

"We don't have time to look now", Tommy replied as he continued to drag David further down the corridor.

"No I'm not leaving him here", his brother protested as he tried to fight against Tommy's grip. He continued to struggle as Tommy found a room that was marked teleportation.

"Look let me get you out of here and I'll go back and look for him", Tommy said trying to placate David.

"I'm not going anywhere without Tommy", he replied and kicked the red ranger away. He started to head back down the corridor but Tommy was able to grab hold of him. David tried to kick out again but this time the red ranger blocked the attack and retaliated with a punch of his own. David was now really annoyed and unleashed a flurry of kicks. Tommy was quick even to block each one of them before sweeping his brothers legs out from underneath him.

"Look you're not going to find you brother back there", Tommy called out.

"And why's that", David shouted as he struggled to get to his feet.

Tommy sighed, "Because", he unclipped his helmet, "I'm right here".

David stood there stunned, "Tommy you're the red ranger".

He nodded, "That's right, look there's no time to explain. I should be able to use the teleporter over there to get us back to our base". David didn't looked too convinced, "We teleport all the time, you'll be fine. Trust me".

David nodded as Tommy led him over to the console, replacing him helmet as he did so. The writing on the console wasn't in English but the diagrams indicated which buttons to push. Tommy pulled his brother closer and with a push of the button they teleported back down to Earth.

_Oliver Residence_

Later that day Tommy was back at home and ready to see his brother off. After taking David to the Power Chamber and explaining the situation to Zordon, the sage agreed that Tommy had done the right thing revealing his identity to his brother. David had promised to keep the secrets of the Power Rangers and thanked the other rangers for looking out for his brother for the last few years.

The red ranger placed the last of David's bags into his car, "It was great having you visit for a few days", he began, "it was a shame about the whole kidnapping thing".

David shook his head, "Don't worry about that, I still can't believe that my brother is a Power Ranger".

"Sometimes I can't believe it myself", Tommy replied, "but it feels great to save the world on a daily basis". He looked at his brother and smiled, "You know you have some good moves, you'd make a great Power Ranger".

"Oh no I'll leave the killer robots to the professionals", David replied. "Anyway I need to hit the road, you'll have to tell me some stories one day".

"I will do", Tommy called out, "and give my love to Sam and Amelia as well".

David nodded and started the engine on his car. With a final wave he pulled away and started the long journey back home. Tommy gave him a wave back and smiled, he was glad that his brother was safe and also that he now knew his secret.

_**A/N – **__In case any of my loyal readers haven't noticed, I've published a new story in the crossover section, Power Rangers Zeo vs Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. It's a story that's separate from this one so it's set in the canon universe of both series. Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think. Thank you for the reviews of the last chapter as well. _


	17. Rocket Man

_Chapter 17 – Rocket Man_

_February 9 1997 – Machine Empire Base_

Inside one of the operating rooms of the machine base, Klank was working furiously to prepare his latest invention. The robot on the table was meant to be worn as a suit by the red ranger's brother but since his escape, Klank had to make alternate arrangements. His first order of business was to repair himself after Tommy had stabbed him through the chest. One of the advantages of being a robot meant that you could be repaired quickly. If Klank had any feelings, they would have been hurt when Mondo initially refused to have him repaired. It was only thanks to Queen Machina, who reminded her husband that Klank was needed to enlarge their monsters, that the repairs had been completed so quickly.

Klank threw a switch on the side of a console and a machine began to power up. Sparks of electricity hit Klank's creation, beginning the process of activation. After a few minutes, Klank heard King Mondo's voice called out from the doorway, "This had better be important".

"Oh it will be sire", Klank replied, "I'm just putting the finishing touches to my most powerful creation yet".

"You say that every time", Mondo drolled, "why should I believe that this time will be any different".

Behind the pair the table began to slowly rise, "Because it's true this time sire. I've had to adapt my initial design after the red rangers brother evaded us". King Mondo grumbled at this latest failure, "He is powered by the most sophisticated propulsion system ever created. His CPU has been programmed to think like a human. He can learn, adapt and most importantly he has a will to survive. He will be the greatest challenge the rangers have ever faced".

King Mondo looked at this creation, unlike some of his other monsters, this one didn't look particularly intimidating. But appearances could be deceptive and he was willing to give this monster a chance. "Is he active yet?" the king asked.

"His vocal response and recognition programs are sire", he replied.

"Good", Mondo began before addressing the machine, "once you are fully activated, your mission is to destroy the power rangers".

"Affirmative your royal highness", the monster replied with a thick New York accent.

Mondo glared at his chief inventor, "Why is he speaking like that?"

"Forgive me sire I must have made a coding error", Klank stated, "I'll get it fixed as soon as possible".

"No leave it as it is", Mondo replied, "if he's anything like your other failures he'll be destroyed soon anyway". With that parting shot the machine king stomped out of the operating room. Klank grumbled but continued to work on fully activating his latest creation.

_Angel Grove Park_

The sounds of children playing rang out through the park on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Today was the finals of the Angel Grove under 10s soccer tournament and the final match was underway. Adam was on the sidelines overseeing the match, clipboard in hand. As part of his coaching qualification, he had taken up the role of coach and manager of his local youth team. So far they had been one of the revelations of the tournament, winning most of their games comfortably. He had persuaded one of the stars of the high school team, Carlos Vallerte, to join him as his assistant. Carlos was a talented soccer player but he didn't play well as part of a team. Adam hoped that a stint as a coach would help change his attitude.

Currently Adam's teams were trailing 2-1 with only a few minutes left. The green ranger watched as his team suddenly broke away with the striker one on one with the opposing goalkeeper. Just as he was about to shoot, he was tripped from behind by the defender tailing him.

"Penalty ref", Carlos shouted out. Adam rolled his eyes at Carlos' exuberance but it worked well when combined with Adam's calm and quiet demeanour. The penalty was duly given and scored by Adam's team. The two teens celebrated on the sidelines but then tried to stop their players from getting too over excited, they still had a game to win.

"The momentum's with us now", Adam stated to Carlos and the Hispanic teen nodded in agreement. Straight from the kick off their group of youngsters went straight back on the attack. A cross from the right wing was met in the penalty area by one of the strikers on the half volley. The ball evaded the grasp of the opposing goalkeeper and nestled in the bottom corner of the net. Almost immediately the game's final whistle blew, signifying victory for the scoring team.

Adam and Carlos hugged each other and celebrated with their young soccer stars. A trophy was presented to the winning captain and he held it aloft. The youngsters sprinted off to celebrate together and with their parents. "That was a great game", Carlos began, "I hope we can do the same in our playoff game next week". As well as coaching the youth team, Adam was the captain of the High School team.

"Stone Canyon are a tough team to face, believe me I know", Adam replied. "Just remember that we need to work a team".

Carlos sighed, "Yeah I know and I've learned a lot over the last few weeks how important that is".

Adam smiled, "That's great Carlos, I wasn't going to tell you this but I'm going to recommend you to replace me as captain next year". Carlos did a celebratory fist pump but Adam held up his hands, "But you need to show me that you can be a team player and what better way to show that then a good performance against Stone Canyon".

"I won't let you down captain", Carlos replied and clasped hands with Adam. Suddenly a loud explosion rang out across the park and the two teens recoiled from the blast. Adam's ranger sense immediately went haywire as he saw a fireball rising above the trees.

"I'm going to go check that out", Adam stated.

"I'll go with you", Carlos added.

Adam though put up his hands, "No you need to wait here and look after the kids". Carlos' face hardened and he nodded in agreement, "I'll be back as soon as I can", Adam added.

The green ranger took off in the direction of the explosion. He brought his communicator up to his mouth, "Zordon this is Adam, there's been an explosion in the park".

"I am aware of this Adam", Zordon replied, "King Mondo has sent his latest creation down to the park. The others are they at the moment, join up with them as soon as you can".

"I'll be there shortly", he replied. Adam activated his zeonisers and called out, "It's morphin' time".

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

Morphing mid-run in a flash of green, Adam weaved his way between the trees until he saw his friends battling away against the monster. The creature looked like a giant rocket but with arms and legs. A visor around his eyes gave the appearance of sunglasses, "Alright time to send you back to Mondo in pieces", he called out.

"Ooh a new playmate, when will you rangers learn that nothing can stop Louie Kaboom", the monster replied. Louie Kaboom used the spikes on his arms to rake across the body of the green ranger, sending sparks flying off of Adam's suit.

Kaboom was coming in for another attack when Kat jumped in front Adam. Using her Power Disk she repelled the blow before swinging the disk towards Louie. It struck him across the face, knocking him away from the two rangers. Kat extended her hand to help Adam up, "Glad you could make it", she stated.

"Yeah got held up at the soccer tournament", he replied as he got to his feet, "who's this guy".

"He calls himself Louie Kaboom", Kat began, "apparently Mondo's running out of goons if he's sending this clown".

"Hey you'll hurt my feeling pinky", Kaboom called out. His hands dropped open, revealing small machine guns. The weapons fired at the feet of the pink and green rangers but they were able to jump out of the way. "Why won't you stay still", Kaboom cried, he fired again but this time the bullets were stopped by a blur of red and yellow. Tommy and Tanya had jumped in front of Kaboom and were spinning their special weapons furious. The movement of the sword and nunchucks created a forcefield that deflected the bullets back at Kaboom. The rocket monster flew backwards with the strength of his shots but he was greeted by the blue ranger. Using his Power Axes, Rocky sliced Louie Kaboom in midair. He was sent further back into the trees with sparks flying out of his chassis.

The five rangers met up and congratulated each other, confident that Louie Kaboom was on his last legs. Unseen by them Klank and Orbus slowly approaching their fallen comrade. Klank in particular was fuming, Louie Kaboom was meant to be invincible. Instead he was being thrown around by those pesky rangers like he was nothing. It was time for him to take action, "I think it's time for plan B Orbus", he said.

"Ready when you are boss", came the reply from the small robot.

"Good thing I modified your systems to match up with Louie's", Klank stated. He threw Orbus at Kaboom but instead of enlarging his creation, nothing initially happened. In a flash Kaboom sprang to his feet and charged straight towards the rangers.

"Wow that's some power boost", Orbus chuckled.

"Previously Louie Kaboom wasn't operating at his full potential", Klank began. "Now that our boost has kicked his processer into overdrive, nothing can stop him".

Klank's statement was proving to be pretty accurate, Kaboom was batting the rangers away like flies. Firstly the two girls were kicked away, slamming them into a couple of trees. The boys put up a little more resistance but one by one they too were knocked to the ground. "Now it's time to show you why I'm called Louie Kaboom", he laughed a little more manically than earlier. He leaned forward and several slot opened up along his back. Five missiles flew out from his back and towards the rangers. They were able to move slightly out the way but the teens still took a fair wallop from the blast.

"I don't think we can take much more of this", Rocky cried as he struggled to get to his feet.

"Ha ha, nothing can stop me now", Kaboom called out, "soon I will rule this planet and there's nothing you can do to stop me".

At this moment Klank made his presence known. He slowly walked up behind Louie Kaboom, "Erm I think you'll mean that King Mondo will rule this planet".

"With all this power you really think that I'd let that mis-shapen coffee machine take all the glory", Louie replied.

"You're programmed to served the Machine Empire", Klank seethed.

"I've been programmed to destroy the rangers using whatever means necessary", Louie stated. "The way I look at things Mondo has failed repeatedly to get rid of those multi-coloured teens. Maybe a change of leadership is needed".

Klank couldn't believe what he was hearing but his didn't get the chance to reply. In the background he heard the sound of a weapon charging up. He glanced behind and saw that the rangers had called on the Zeo Cannon and were about to fire. Klank jumped out the way and let his creation take the full blast. Louie Kaboom only saw the blast at the last second so he wasn't able to get completely out the way. The blast knocked him further back into the forest and safely away from the rangers.

The teens were winded after firing the cannon as it had taken almost the last of their energy. They had just enough strength to stand and face Klank, "Your monsters gone Klank", Tommy called out, "it's just you now". Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, Klank and Orbus disappeared into the sky.

"Good thing we didn't have to fight", Adam stated, "I'm not sure that I could".

The others nodded in agreement, "Let's get back to the Power Chamber", Tommy began, "I don't think Kaboom could've survived that". The teens touched their belt buckles and disappeared in a rainbow of colour.

Sadly for the rangers not only had Louie Kaboom survived but some of his special features had kicked in. The power boost that Klank had given him made his chassis much more resilient to attack. His enhanced survival instincts meant that he could roam around in the shadows until he was ready to strike. He wouldn't be subservient to King Mondo and his obsolete ways, and he would find a way to rule the Machine Empire. That was where his third special feature was coming in handy.

To help the Machine Empire discover more about the rangers powers, Klank had created a program that would absorb all the knowledge of the Zeo crystal. It would only work if he was hit by one of their special attacks but it was a small price to pay for the knowledge they would gain. As Louie Kaboom scanned through the data upload, he came across something very interesting. He wasn't completely sure what the information meant initially so he focused all of his processing time to investigating the problem.

It seemed that there was something missing from the ranger's powers and they weren't operating to maximum capacity. He had no idea why they would choose to willingly operate like this. In addition the wavelengths seem slightly off, not enough for them to notice but something definitely wasn't right. And then almost like a bolt of lightning it hit him and he laughed to himself, "I bet they don't even know", he chuckled, "I'll make sure the first they know about it is when I use that power again them".

Louie Kaboom laughed again before plotting a course on his internal systems. He had a lot of searching to do and a limited timeframe in which to do it. Once he was happy that the rangers hadn't followed him, he activated his jet pack and took off into the sky. The Power Rangers and the Machine Empire really sure watch out as there was now a rogue missile in play and they would have no idea where he would strike next.

_**A/N – **__New origin for Louie Kaboom since Rita and Zedd aren't featured in this story. He will be a little more devious than in the series so keep an eye out for that. Now what do you reckon he found when he scanned the rangers powers..._

_Thank you for the reviews of the last chapter, please keep them coming. _


	18. Have It All

_Chapter 18 –Have It All_

_February 13 1997 - Angel Grove Financial District_

Aimi and Xander pulled their car up next to the curb and stepped out into the rainy financial district of Angel Grove. Xander pulled an umbrella out of the trunk and held it over the two of them. As they struggled to stay dry, the pair began to recall the conversation that had led them to this point. A couple of days ago they had received a call from Captain Mitchell, the new head of the NFSA, asking for their assistance. After much consideration and begging from Captain Mitchell, they agreed to hear him out in person. The Captain asked them to meet him at this address so discuss his offer in person.

So here they were huddled under an umbrella on the corner of a quiet street, "Xander quit moving the umbrella", Aimi chastised, "my shoulders are getting damp".

"If I do that then the water runs down my back", he complained in response.

She stared at him with a freezing glare, "If you don't keep it right there then I'm banning you from bedroom privileges for the next month". Put firmly in his place the young school worker did as he was instructed. As Aimi rubbed her shoulders to keep warm, her foul mood turned towards Captain Mitchell, "This wouldn't be a problem if Mitchell would get his ass here".

Almost on cue a black sedan rolled up next to them. The door opened and Captain Mitchell stepped on the street, adjusting his beret in the process, "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me", he began, "shall we take this somewhere less damp".

"Best news I've heard all day", Aimi grumbled. They walked a couple of blocks down the street until they reached a building that was under construction. Captain Mitchell flashed an ID badge at the guard and he allowed them onto the site. Once through the gates they saw a fairly generic office complex under construction. They weren't sure why the Captain had brought them here until Aimi recognised a building across the street, "Hang on, this is where the Bunker is".

"Was", Captain Mitchell corrected, "the three of you did a very thorough job of destroying the place".

"That was Kris's handiwork", Xander replied, "is it true what Harmon said, that Kris hadn't been seen since last year".

Captain Mitchell nodded, "Sadly that's correct otherwise he would be standing with you right now". He led them through the front reception and into a small room with a couple of computers, "Now that more details about the agency are being printed in the press, I thought it was time to take it public". He paused to turn on the two computers, "This complex is part of that process but that's not why I brought you here".

On one of the screens there was an image of the Earth and the Moon. In between the orbits of the two celestial bodies was a blinking dot, "We caught this on our sensors yesterday", Captain Mitchell began, "my chief scientist said this was similar to an incident last December that she reported to you".

Xander laughed, "Chief scientist? Angela must be going up in the world".

"A talent like Miss Fairweather's is too good to waste at a tracking facility in Texas", Captain Mitchell replied. "She'll be moving here with me when this complex is finished".

Xander looked at the screen and then at the readouts on the other computer. At first glance they didn't match the Aquitians who visited by spacecraft previously. Nor did it match anything he had seen from Rita and Lord Zedd. Suddenly something clicked inside his brain, "This definitely isn't the Aquitians", he stated.

Captain Mitchell looked confused as the Angel Grove team never reported details of the Alien Rangers' visit, "The who?"

"The Aquitian rangers, water based lifeforms, awesome ranger power but very freaky bedroom habits". He moved on quickly before Mitchell could question him further, "But I'll tell you what the signal does match, the power rangers, the zeo powers specifically".

"You sure?" Aimi asked, "how did they get into space?"

"Good question", Xander replied, "I'll do a quick search and see this power signal can be found anywhere on Earth". He tapped a few buttons on the keyboard and waited for the search to finish. Immediately several dots appeared in the Angel Grove area, indicating where the five power rangers were currently. "There we go a perfect match", he stated.

"Wait the search isn't done", Captain Mitchell stated and he was right. The image of the Earth shifted away from California and was heading eastwards. It continued over America and out over the Atlantic. The image continued to change showing southern Europe until it settled on Egypt. A faint dot appeared in an area in the middle of nowhere, nothing but desert for miles.

"Why is there a ranger signature in the middle of the Sahara", Xander asked.

"I dunno but I sure would like to find out", Aimi added.

Captain Mitchell smiled, "I was hoping you would say that". He reached down on the floor and picked up two briefcases. He handled the cases to the pair who opened them up immediately. Inside were new NFSA ID badges a sonic pistol and a pair of plane tickets to Egypt. "We need experts on ranger technology and signatures. Without calling on the rangers themselves you two are the best choices".

"But we didn't agree to do this yet", Aimi replied.

"I was hoping to use my charm and personality to win you over", Captain Mitchell deadpanned. The two now apparently reactivated agents didn't look impressed, "Look you just admitted that this mystery intrigued the pair of you", he began, "and Aimi you are still the best investigator that I know".

"Flattery really will get you nowhere", she replied.

Captain Mitchell sighed, "Alright I'm desperate", he admitted, "I still don't know who I can really trust with a mission like this, you two are my only hope. I'll make you an offer, do this one mission and see how you feel. If you still don't want to be involved then you can walk away. If you decide you missed being an agent then you can name your terms".

The couple looked at each other before Xander answered for the pair of them, "Alright one last mission but no promises".

"Thank you", Captain Mitchell smiled, "your flights leave tomorrow". As the pair were leaving the room, the Captain said one last thing, "Oh and I've asked Miss Fairweather to join you in Egypt".

"Great, sand, heat and Xander ex-girlfriend. What more could a girl want", Aimi grumbled as she closed the door behind her.

_Power Chamber_

At the same time as Captain Mitchell was talking with Aimi and Xander, Billy was also following the incoming craft. Similar to Xander he had ruled out the Machine Empire, the Aquitians and Rita and Lord Zedd. He too noticed that the craft was giving off the same signals as Zeo crystal. Confused by the reading he turned to Zordon, "I've been tracking a craft that's now in orbit above the Earth".

"Yes Billy I too am aware of this situation", Zordon replied.

"Then you know that the craft carries the same readings at the other Zeo rangers", Billy stated.

Zordon didn't respond initially and for a moment the former blue ranger thought that he had stunned the wise old sage into silence. "Billy call the other rangers here, I have something to share with them".

Billy nodded and did as he was instructed. After a few minutes the chamber was filled with colourful light as the rangers arrived, "We got here as soon as we could", Tommy stated, "what's the emergency".

"At the moment there is no emergency", Zordon began, "however we soon could be in terrible danger".

"Zordon you're worrying us", Kat said nervously.

"I apologise Katherine that was not my intention", Zordon replied. "Billy has been tracking a craft that is now in orbit above the Earth. According to the reading the ship belongs to the Triforian royal family".

"Is that bad?" Rocky asked.

Zordon shook his head, "By itself no, the Triforian's are a peaceful race and they mean you no harm. The Triforian royal family though are guardians of a tremendous source, the power of the gold ranger".

"There's a sixth ranger?" Tanya stated, "why isn't he here helping us".

"That is a long story Tanya", Zordon began, "the full details of which shall have to wait for another day. To keep things simple the source of the gold ranger's power is hidden on Earth and the seal to its power will only be released when a member of the Triforian royal family sets foot on Earth again".

"I'm confused I still don't see what all of this is bad" Adam said.

"The power of the gold ranger and his personal zord could be used by anyone", Zordon replied.

Billy snapped his fingers, "So in theory King Mondo could claim the power for his own. Unlike your pieces of the Zeo crystal that chose you because you are worthy, the golden fragment can bond with anyone".

"Precisely Billy", Zordon confirmed, "eons ago when the Zeo crystal was created, the Triforians agreed to hide the sixth crystal on Earth under the pretence that they would only set foot on the planet again if it was under threat".

"So someone's found out about the gold ranger power", Tommy stated and Zordon nodded in confirmation. "Can we contact this Triforian and let him know we can help".

"I've been trying that", Alpha began, making his presence known for the first time. "Unfortunately they are not responding to my calls. The craft must be using all of its power to try and locate the source of the disturbance".

"Then we'll just have to find that crystal ourselves", Tommy replied.

"I've been able to locate a similar reading in Egypt", Billy began, "that would be a good place to start. As you need to remain behind in case of emergencies, I propose that myself, Trini and Jason go".

"Fine with me", Tommy responded and the other rangers agreed.

"Excellent, I'll go and inform the others and get prepared" Billy said, "we'll set off tomorrow as it's a Saturday".

"You're bravery and knowledge still impresses me Billy", Zordon boomed, "may the power protect all of you". Billy nodded in appreciation but he could only hope that someone wouldn't find the sixth Zeo crystal before they did.

_Sahara Desert, Egypt_

The sun was beating down over the sands of the Sahara but that didn't bother the metal man that walked across the desert. His self repair program had fully restored his systems to their maximum operating capacity and he was ready to put the next part of his plan into operation. The first step had been to accurately determine where the sixth power source was located. His initial searches had only found the five current Zeo rangers. While it was useful to know what they looked like under the helmets, it wasn't his primary objective.

Once those variables had been removed from his search he could focus on the actual sixth power source. Except someone had been crafty enough to create a false trail, which infuriated the robot. He had crossed the globe trying to find what he was looking for, firstly into Canada, then down into South America. Next were several stops in Asia before a couple in Antarctica. Obviously whoever had created this trail didn't know that a robot with unlimited time and patience would be searching.

But then a thought occurred to the robot, what if the trail was to buy someone time, in particular the person or beings that had set up the protections. After digging through some more of stolen data, he noticed the fingers prints of the Triforians. Why this alien race of peace keepers had hidden the power source on Earth to begin with was a mystery to him. But what was interesting was that a Triforian ship was now approaching Earth. Apparently the disturbances at the other sites had sparked an interest on Triforia. He was obviously on the right track.

Finally all the false trails had led him to this spot. If Louie Kaboom could have smiled, he would be doing so right now. Hidden behind this Triforian forcefield was the power of the gold Zeo ranger. Soon he would have enough power to defeat the power rangers and claim the Machine Empire throne for himself. He could almost hear the chants of King Louie Kaboom the Awesome ringing out across the Earth now.

Louie Kaboom punched at the forcefield but nothing happened. He tried to use the machine guns in his hands but the forcefield just absorbed all the bullets like they were nothing. In desperation Kaboom fired a missle, it hit its target but he wasn't expecting a power backlash from the shield. It threw him across the sand and he landed head first in a dune.

Once Louie Kaboom had extracted his head from the sand, he tried to look at the problem logically. He was silently thanking Klank for giving him the power of rational thinking now. Clearly the forcefield could only be broken by a Triforian. His actions had attracted the attention of one, a member of the royal family no less, but they were staying up in orbit. Surely if the Zeo crystal was under threat, the Triforian would have come down to repel the attack personally.

Then it hit him, the forcefield could only be deactivated by the presence of a Triforian on Earth. As long as he remained in orbit, the Triforian could observe the situation and report back if necessary. A overgrown watchdog essentially, ready to attack from a distance if an attacker came too close. A flap on Louie Kaboom's back opened to reveal a large missile. If the Triforian wouldn't willingly come to Earth, then he would have to force him on to the surface. It was times like these that made Louie Kaboom love his existence even more than he usually did.

"Soon Mr or Mrs split personality you'll feel the wrath of Louie Kaboom", he called out over the desert. He retracted his missile and decided to withdraw to recharge himself for the upcoming battle.

_**A/N – **__A new twist for the introduction of the gold ranger, hopefully you'll enjoy this mini arc. Thank you for the reviews of the last chapter, please keep them coming. _


	19. Walk Like An Egyptian

_Chapter 19 – Walk Like An Egyptian_

_February 16 1997 – Sahara Desert, Egypt_

Sand. Nothing but sand for hundreds and hundreds of miles in every direction. Other than a few hilly dunes the landscape was remarkably featureless. The only mark on the horizon was a dust trail being kicked up by a speeding vehicle. A huge column of sand was flying off its wheels as it bounced between the dunes.

Inside the jeep were Aimi, Xander and Angela Fairweather, who were well into their second day of cruising across the desert. The atmosphere was fractious between the trio and the heat wasn't helping matters. Immediately there was tension between the two women as soon as Angela boarded the plane. Despite Xander's protests of a purely platonic friendship between himself and Angela in the past, Aimi wasn't convinced. She proceeded to spend the flight either glaring daggers at the scientist or snuggled up incredibly closely to her boyfriend.

The first day of searching hadn't gone too well either. They were only an hour into their day when Xander had buried the jeep into a huge sand dune. It had taken them most of the morning to dig it out and afterwards they were absolutely shattered. To try and avoid the worst of the midday sun they had sheltered under a portable shade but this had only led to a repeat of the incidents on the plane.

The inevitable argument occurred that evening when Xander rounded on Aimi for her childish jealously. The Asian woman then tried to turn it back onto Angela but she then backed up Xander's argument, which made the situation worse. The two women then turned on Xander for his poor driving earlier in the day that had cost them so much time. After arguing for over half an hour, the result was that the two women slept in the two separate tents and Xander was relegated to sleeping in the jeep.

The atmosphere was still volatile and Xander sat in the back of the jeep in a sulk. Angela had taken over driving duties which wasn't sitting well with Aimi. As she stared at the tracking device, she frantically tried to direct the driver the correct way, "I said take a left at the dune", she cried.

"I did take a left", Angela replied through gritted teeth.

"Well I meant your other left", Aimi spat back.

"Oh joy", Xander muttered under his breath as he rubbed a sore spot on the back of his neck.

Meanwhile on the other of the dune Jason, Billy and Trini were having a much more harmonious day. Unlike the others they were able to teleport back to their comfy beds at the end of each day. Alpha was also able to supply virtually anything they needed at a push of a button. Billy tapped his tracking device to remove some of the sand from the screen. He gazed across a flat valley between several dunes with a confused look on his face. "According to our readings from ten minutes ago, the gold ranger power source should be around here".

"I'm sensing a but coming", Jason stated.

Billy sighed, "Well the signal was getting stronger right up until we got here, now it's gone".

"How can it be gone?" Trini asked.

"I'm not sure", Billy began, "I'm hoping that it's just a temporary glitch in the system".

Jason looked over the horizon, "Well it can't have been taken, there's nothing for miles around".

Just then Trini spied something in the distance, a trail of dust, "Apart from that over there".

The two boys looked a little closer and saw that it was a vehicle of some kind, "Whatever it is, it's coming right for us", Jason said. He reached into a long bag that was on his back and pulled out three swords. He handed one to the others and took one for himself. He saw the curious looks from the others, "Can't be too careful".

"I don't think that the Machine Empire would drive across the desert in a jeep", Billy replied. "I think you're more likely to see Rita and Zedd coming over the horizon in an RV".

"Stop complaining and take cover", Jason called out as he hid in a small dip in the sand. The others joined him and tried to stay as low to the ground as possible.

The jeep moved closer until it skidded to halt near the teens. To their surprise Xander and Aimi stepped out of the vehicle, together with a black haired woman they hadn't seen before. "Do you have to hit every single bump", Aimi bellowed.

"Well if you could read a bloody map and give proper directions I wouldn't have to drive so erratically", Angela replied.

"Ladies can we not do this again", Xander stated.

"Shut it Xander", the two women shouted at him.

Unsure what to do the teens slowly climbed up from their crouched position. Xander and Aimi had their back to them but Angela caught the movement straight away. Her wide eyed expression caught the two agents attention immediately. They drew their sonic pistols and spun around to face the teens. In response the former rangers brought their swords to their sides and pointed them at the agents.

Seeing the familiar faces, Aimi dropped her pistol to her side, "What are you three doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question", Jason replied as he lowered his sword.

"I think that we're both probably here for the same reason", Xander added as he too lowered his pistol.

Jason eyed them suspiciously, "But I thought you were out of the agency now".

"We are", Aimi began defensively, "well not at the moment", she paused, "it's a long story".

Angela took this opportunity to step between the two sides, "Erm, hi do you want to introduce me?"

Aimi sighed, "Guys this is Angela Fairweather, the soon to be chief scientist at the NFSA. Angela these lovely young people are…", she paused no really sure how to introduced the teens without giving away their former secret identities.

"We're friends of the Power Rangers", Billy said on behalf of the female agent. "So you've been tracking the gold ranger powers as well".

"Gold ranger?" Xander stated with confusion, "I didn't know there was a gold ranger, we were just asked to look into a ranger like signal".

"So you don't know what we're really looking for either?" Trini asked the three agency members and they shook their heads in response.

Suddenly their attention was grabbed by the sound of a missile launching in the distance. The projectile shot high into the air and disappeared into the atmosphere. After a few moments the air around the group shimmered and out of thin air a huge golden pyramid appeared. "Where did that come from?" Aimi called out.

"I dunno but my power detector's going haywire", Billy replied.

The sound of jets firing could be heard and in a flash Louie Kaboom had landed in front of them, "So I see I'm not the only one after the gold ranger powers", he stated.

"You can't have those powers", Jason replied with his best authoritive voice.

"And you think that six powerless humans can stop me?"

"Is everyone armed?" Jason asked the others.

"I'm not", Angela stammered, "I haven't gone through combat training yet".

"Here take this", Billy stated and handed Angela his sword. "I've got a plan", Billy said to the others, "keep Louie away from me and the pyramid. I'll clear a path for us".

"I don't know how to use this", Angela stated as she waived the sword around in the air.

"It's simple", Aimi began, "sword, stabby, bad guy". The agent fired a blast from her pistol that staggered Louie Kaboom but didn't knock him down. Xander joined in with a quick blast that pushed the rocket man further away from the pyramid. Trini charged in next with the sword but it didn't do a huge amount of damage to Louie. Tentatively Angela tried to join in but she didn't have any success either. Louie grabbed their swords and pushed them away, the force of the blow sending the two ladies into the agents.

"Pitiful really", Louie called out as he stepped towards the group. As the only one left standing Jason tried his best to cover all of them. Suddenly Louie was hit by a strong jet of water that knocked him off his feet and into a sand dune. The other turned around and saw an exhausted Billy slump to his knees.

"Billy how many times to we have to tell you not to use your ninja powers", Trini chastised.

"It was the only way I could think to push him away", Billy croaked out.

"Let's see if we can get inside", Jason added as he picked Billy up off the ground and led them toward the pyramid.

"Did she just say ninja powers?" Angela asked the two agents.

"Oh yeah Billy's a water ninja", Xander replied casually.

As the two agents following the teens towards the pyramid, Angela stood stunned, "Ninja's are real?" she called out.

The group dashed towards an entrance hatch to the pyramid and quickly climbed in before Louie Kaboom could catch up to them. The inside of the pyramid was not what they were expecting. The walls were black with gold trim and electrical panels were dotted around everywhere. Everyone was in awe of the advanced technology that was on display. "This is incredible", Angela began, "just imagine what we could discover from this".

"Remember why we're here", Jason reminded her.

"Right sorry", Angela apologised.

"Ok so now we're here how do we find the powers of the gold ranger", Trini asked.

"Maybe one of these panels will tell us", Billy replied and he started pushing buttons to bring up something on the display. Suddenly the pyramid shook violently and everyone was thrown across the corridor, landing in a heap in the corner. "Ok that was unexpected", he grumbled.

Aimi got to her knees and looked out of a small window to the outside, "Not as surprising as this", she began, "we're flying".

She wasn't wrong, whatever Billy had done had activated the flight mechanism of the pyramid. It was moving at a tremendous speed and height as they could already make out the coastline of northern Europe below them.

"Ninja's, flying pyramids please tell me this isn't normal", Angela cried.

"Well there was the occasion when time was reserved by 10 years", Xander replied off handedly.

Despite the flippant attitude everyone was worried about how they were going to safely pilot a giant golden pyramid flying faster than the speed of sound.

_Power Chamber_

On the medical table in the middle of the room lay the prince of the royal house of Triforia. The missile shot by Louie Kaboom had knocked his ship out of orbit and sent it plummeting towards Earth. Only the quick actions of Alpha and Kat to activate the chamber's tractor beam had stopped the ship hitting the ground. The consequence of this was the lowering of the forcefield around the gold ranger powers. They could only hope that the others had found the powers before Louie Kaboom.

The prince was a tall man with short dark hair and a mark above and below his left eye. He was wearing black and gold robes in the style of a toga. His injuries were minor but the effort of trying to land his crashing ship had exhausted him. Slowly his eyes opened and took in his unfamiliar surroundings. He rose to a seated position, still trying to ascertain if he was in danger.

"Welcome Prince of Triforia", Zordon's voice boomed, gaining the attention of the stranger, "I am Zordon of Eltar. Welcome of the strategic command center of the Power Rangers, also known as the Power Chamber".

The prince got to his feet, his knees wobbling from his earlier effort. He slowly approached Zordon's energy tube and knelt in front of it, "Zordon it is an honour", he began, "I am Prince Trey of Triforia, guardian of the gold Zeo powers".

"Rise Trey", Zordon commanded, "I am sorry that your arrival couldn't have been smoother".

"I take it you stopped my ship from crashing", Trey asked.

"Actually it was the current team of rangers", Zordon replied. Taking this a cue the rangers moved out of the shadows, "Power Rangers meet Trey of Triforia, Trey this is Katherine the pink ranger, Tanya the yellow ranger, Rocky the blue ranger, Adam the green ranger and finally the teams leader Tommy the red ranger".

"It's an honest to meet you your highness", Tommy greeted with a bow.

"Please call me Trey", the Triforia replied.

"Trey perhaps you can help us with a few questions", Adam began, "for example why were the gold powers were hidden on Earth".

"The people of Triforia have always been advanced in the ways of technology", Trey began. "Several thousands of years ago we landed on Earth, about the time of your ancient Egyptians. We observed your people and were astounded as to how they could create structures like the pyramids without the use of technology".

Trey paused before continuing, "The Zeo crystal was originally from Triforia, we brought it to Earth to hide it from anyone who wanted to use its power for evil purposes. It was split into six pieces and scattered across the Earth to keep it even more secure. The golden piece of the crystal was stored inside Pyramidas, a zord inspired by the Egyptians. It is arguably the most powerful zord ever known to be created".

A moving image on the viewing globe caught Kat attention, "Trey does Pyramidas look something like that?" she asked.

Trey studied the image, "Yes that's it, someone has found a way to activate it".

"The question is who did it?" Rocky stated.

"More to the point can we stop it?" Tommy asked.

Trey shook his head, "Only the gold ranger can stop it. If they haven't done so already someone must bond with the golden power morpher. Only then can they bring Pyramidas under control".

"What if the Machine Empire has control?" Tommy dared to ask.

Trey didn't respond straight away but the look on his face told the whole story, "Then may the gods have mercy on us", he finally said.

The rangers didn't say anything, instead opting to try and contact the others. When there was no response they could only assume that they were either onboard Pyramidas or Louie Kaboom had gotten hold of them. On another screen they were tracking the progress of Pyramidas, which was taking an elongated route around the globe. So far it was high enough and far enough away from any major cities to prevent any major damage.

"Look on the globe", Rocky cried. He pointed to an image back in the Sahara desert showing Louie Kaboom extracting himself from the sand.

"Well at least he's not in control", Adam stated.

Kat turned to face the prince of Triforia, "How long can Pyramidas stay in the air for?"

"If the gold ranger was piloting the craft, in theory indefinitely", he replied but he hesitated before continuing. "Without a pilot, I don't know".

The assembled group looked at the out of control craft flying through the atmosphere. They could only hope that one of their friends could secure the gold ranger powers before Pyramidas crashed uncontrollably to the ground.

_**A/N – **__A good old fashioned race against time and now there are six possible candidates for the gold ranger. Question is who is it going to be? You'll find out in the next chapter. _


	20. Gold

_Chapter 20 – Gold_

_February 16 1997 – Pyramidas_

High above the surface of the Earth three former power rangers and three government employees circled the planet in a flying golden pyramid. This scenario would have sounded ridiculous to virtually anyone but it was just another day at the office for the six people inside. From the onboard computers they had managed to discover that the cockpit was right at the very top of the zord. Sadly they had entered at virtually the further point away they could possibly get.

For the last hour Jason had led the little group through the maze of corridors and ducts that made up the zord. From what they had seen Pyramidas contained several hangars that looked large enough to hold the other zords, something that needed to be investigated when they got the craft to the ground. Further to that theory were the symbols that corresponded to the other rangers zeo powers. It almost confirmed that the gold ranger was the missing piece to their powers.

Finally they reached the top of the zord and approached a door which they hoped led to the cockpit. The door was black with a golden kanji symbol and there was a small button which hopefully opened it up. Tentatively Jason pushed the button and the door slowly slid open. Behind the door the cockpit had six seats with the one at the front slightly larger than the others. Around the windows of the zord were luminous light tubes matching the colours of the other rangers. The chairs were aligned with two rows of three with a metal desk and a small data pad in front of each seat. The exception to this was the larger seat at the front which had a greater number of controls and buttons.

"Wow so this is what a zord cockpit looks like", Xander said with awe.

"It's certainly much more advanced than the old dino Megazord", Trini added as she ran her fingers over one of the consoles.

"The question now is, where's the gold zeo crystal?" Aimi asked the others.

Billy made his way over to the main control seat and sat down. He looked over the console and found a button which matched the kanji symbol that was on the door. Billy pushed it and the sounds of decompressing air echoed throughout the cockpit. A panel opened up in front of him to reveal a zeonsier similar to the one the other rangers used. The main different was that this solid gold and had the same kanji symbol engraved onto the surface. "I think this is the power", Billy commented as he pulled the zeonsier out of the desk.

"Now we need to decide who gets the power", Trini commented as she took the morpher away from Billy.

"Well don't look at me", Angela began, "I didn't sign up to pilot a giant gold pyramid".

"In the nicest possible way, I don't think they were asking you Angela", Xander laughed, "or us really".

"Well Aimi is a pretty kick ass fighter", Trini stated,"plus the team could use a bit more girl power".

Aimi smiled, "I appreciated your vote of confidence but I think I'm too old to be a ranger".

"Aimi you're 27 not 47", Xander added.

She shook her head, "Still I think the honour should go to one of the former rangers".

The three teens looked at the morpher in Trini hands, all of them having discussions with their inner voices about who should get the powers of the gold ranger. Each of them were worthy candidates and they knew that the gold zeo crystal who bond with the first person who used the morpher. "Well I think it goes without say that each of us wants the power", Jason began.

"But we're all too polite to put our hands up and take it for our own", Trini finished.

Billy smiled, "It's almost like we know each other or something".

"Well there's only one solution to this problem then", Xander chipped in from the corner, "rock, paper, scissors".

"That's the dumbest suggestion I've ever heard", Trini scolded.

"Perhaps", he began, "but in case you haven't noticed the ground appears to be much closer than it was five minutes ago". The others looked out the window and saw that he was right, "It looks like Pyramidas can't sustain itself on auto-pilot without a gold ranger for much longer".

The former rangers looked amongst themselves and then down at the morpher. This was going to have to be the quickest decision they ever made. And it was possibly going to be the most important they had ever made.

_Power Chamber_

Back at the Power Chamber the rangers together with Trey or Triforia had also noticed the steady decent of Pyramidas. The loss of altitude and speed had begun somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean but it was becoming more pronounced after it had crossed the eastern coast of America. For the first time since his arrival, Trey was looking nervous. He genuinely had no idea how to slow the descent and without his ship, he had no way of contacting anyone on Triforia.

"We'll think of something", Kat said as she approached the prince of Triforia.

"I appreciate your kind words Katherine but I'm not sure what more can be done", he replied.

Kat smiled and delayed her response for a few seconds, "If there's one thing us power rangers are experts in its dramatic last second rescues. Believe me I've experienced it from both sides of the good versus evil battle".

Trey looked puzzled, "Both sides? You've previously fought on the side of evil".

The tone in the prince's voice suggested that he was unhappy with either the revelation that she had fought for evil or possibly the flippant way that she brought it up. "Well not intentionally, there was this incident with an evil ninja spirit and I did fight against the rangers briefly". Seeing that she wasn't helping the situation she tried a different approach, "Well the point I'm trying to make is that we're not going to give up not until all hope is definitely gone".

Trey smiled in appreciation, "Thank you Katherine, I guess I just feel helpless watching from the sidelines".

"We all do", she replied and pointed to the others, "see over there how Rocky's laughing and joking around and how Tommy is jabbing buttons furiously on that console". Trey nodded in acknowledgement, "It's their own mechanism to help them cope in situations like this".

"So what do you do", Trey began, "to cope I mean".

"Try and make the person who looks the most worried feel better", she smiled in response. Before they could continue their conversation the Power Chamber's alarms went off. The rangers rushed to the viewing globe and saw Louie Kaboom running amok in downtown Angel Grove.

"That guy really doesn't know when to give up", Tanya stated.

"Looks like we'll have to figure out how to stop Pyramidas later", Tommy added.

"I will stay here and try and help Alpha and Zordon as best as I can", Trey stated.

Tommy smiled, "Thanks Trey we could do with an extra pair of eyes". The rangers got themselves into position as Tommy made the call, "It's morphin' time".

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

"Zeo Ranger V Red"

_Downtown Angel Grove_

Louie Kaboom was extremely annoyed. Not only had those humans gotten away with Pyramidas but he had gotten sand stuck inside his chassis. He needed someone to take his frustration out on and the people of Angel Grove were the unwilling victims. He fired several rounds from his machine guns into local shops, shattering the glass in the process. A parked car offered him the chance to use his missiles. With a quick crouch he launched one at the vehicle, obliterating it in the process.

"Alright Louie you've had enough fun for one day", Tommy called out as the other rangers arrived on the scene.

"Oh goody more teenagers", he replied sarcastically, "Your friends got in my way earlier but that won't happen again". Louie Kaboom called upon another missile and fired it at the rangers. They expertly ducked out the way and fired off a round from their zeo pistols in response. Louie Kaboom ducked out the way of most of them but a couple of volleys hit him directly on the arm, "Alright no more Mr Nice Guy".

Louie charged at the teens and barrelled them out of the way like skittles in a bowling alley. He picked up Tommy and tossed him away like he wasn't even there. Kat and Adam were next to feel his wrath a quick kick and punch combo send them flying into a nearby shop. Finally Rocky and Tanya were caught with a simultaneous punch to their chests which catapulted them down the road.

"I don't know how it's possible but I think he's gotten stronger", Tanya was barely able to cough out.

"Well observed little yellow ranger", Louie cackled. "Even though I wasn't able to capture the gold rangers powers, just being near the source was enough to give me a boost of energy".

"I hate to say it but maybe he's unbeatable this time", Tommy called out to the others.

Before they could reply a shadow was cast over the main square in Angel Grove. Looking up they noticed the formidable shape of Pyramidas looming overhead. At first they thought it was about to crash land but they were relieved to see that it was hovering calmly overhead.

A flash of black and gold sparkles appeared in front of their vision. When it had cleared they saw an unfamiliar ranger in front of them. The suit was black with white boots and gloves. The helmet was also black but with a Japanese kanji symbol instead of their geometric shapes. Protecting his chest was a large golden shield, clearly this was the power of the gold ranger they had been seeking.

"Time to teach you about the power of gold", the ranger called out to Louie. The gold ranger moved with tremendous speed and Louie Kaboom was barely able to keep up with the flurry of kicks and punches. Kaboom tried to go on a counter offensive and fired off one of his missile. It hit the gold ranger directly on his shield but he barely even flinched, let alone get knocked over.

"Wow his power is amazing", Kat whispered in awe.

"Yeah but who's under the helmet?" Rocky asked the group.

"Let's take this up a notch", the gold ranger called out and he summoned a staff to his hands. Several blades came to a point at one end of the staff and at the other was a large ornate golden symbol that matched the one on his helmet. Using his staff and his speed, the gold ranger sliced at the body of Louie Kaboom, leaving several deep scars in his chassis. "Time for a gold rush", he stated and the top of his staff opened. A golden energy gathered around the staff and he directed it at Louie Kaboom. The robot was struck straight in the chest and knocked through a shop window. Much to the disappointment of the rangers, they saw Louie scramble out of the wreckage and run off.

"Yeah you better run", Rocky called out after Louie.

Making sure no one was around, the five original rangers powered down and approached the gold ranger. Tommy looked the new ranger up and down and smiled, "There's only one person I know how would hold a staff over their shoulder like that", he commented after seeing how the gold ranger was standing.

The gold ranger laughed, "You know me too well bro", the ranger powered down to reveal his identity to the others.

"Jason!" the rangers exclaimed and rushed over to congratulate him.

He gave them a brief summary of events that happened over in Egypt before telling them how they decided who would get to be the gold ranger. "Trini and myself initially gave the powers to Billy. It seemed the most obvious to us, he isn't burdened by school and he was a ranger the most recent".

"Knowing Billy I guess he turned it down to continuing working in the Power Chamber", Adam stated.

"Got it in one", Jason replied, "after that he said that I should do it and Trini agreed, so here I am".

"Good to have you back on the team man", Tommy said as he clasped his hand to Jason's shoulder.

"There's just one problem though", Jason began, "where on Earth am I going to get clothes in a golden colour". The others laughed and began walking away from the square.

Meanwhile a bit further away, Louie Kaboom was licking his wounds. The damage was only superficial and could be repaired quite quickly. The biggest setback was to his grand plan, without Pyramidas and the golden powers, he might not have enough fire power to overthrow King Mondo. He then remembered something he had picked up in Egypt. He opened up his chest compartment and pulled over a sonic pistol that one of the agents had dropped. "Oh yes", he replied, "this will come in very handy when the time comes to take on that puffed up windbag Mondo". With that he ignited his jets and took off into the sky.

_The next day – Angel Grove Lake_

The time had come to bid farewell to Prince Trey of Triforia. His ship had been fully repaired and he was ready to begin the long journey back to his home planet. As the six rangers bid him farewell Aimi, Xander and Angela were standing a little further away from the main group. Aimi had a cell phone pressed to her ear and was in deep conversation with Captain Mitchell, "That's correct Captain the rangers have the gold zeo powers and Trey is off back home as we speak". She nodded her head as Captain Mitchell responded on the other end. "Just glad to be of service", she replied before bidding the Captain goodbye.

"So what did he say?" Xander asked.

"He's pleased with our efforts and said our bonus will be paid shortly". She paused before saying the next part, "I also said that we would like to be considered for any other work that may crop up in the future".

Xander nodded in acknowledgement, "Well I did miss the excitement if I'm honest. There's only so much fun you can have rebuilding a computer in a high school".

"Well I hope that I'm never out in the field again", Angela added before turning to Aimi, "you know you're not so bad Aimi".

The agent smiled back grudgingly, "Yeah I guess you're alright as well".

"Look out for my little bro won't you", Angela replied.

Aimi's brow furrowed, "Little bro?"

"Oh not literally", she clarified, "it's what we used to call him back in Stanford. Everyone used to look out for him because he was so young". She paused for a second, "Wait a sec, you thought the two of us hooked up in college didn't you", Aimi didn't reply but the look she gave Angela said everything. "Aimi when he started Stanford he was 14 and I've was third year student, I'm many things but a cradle snatcher isn't one of them". Once Angela had said this she realised that she had forgotten that Xander had started college so young. An embarrassed smile told the scientist that she was sorry.

"See I knew you two would things out eventually", Xander stated and put his arms around both women. "So what you working on next", he asked Angela.

"Not sure", she began, "the Captain wants to talk to me about something call project Turbo, no idea what it involves though".

The trio watched Trey's ship blast off into the sky and gave it a wave as it disappeared. Whilst Aimi and Xander were happy to be involved in the future anyway they could, they hoped that the addition of a sixth ranger to the Zeo rangers would mean that they could go back to their relatively peaceful retirement. Only time would tell if the Machine Empire would allow that to happen.

_**A/N – **__Big reveal is over and Jason is the new gold ranger. Decided to stick with canon as it made the most sense in my universe. Billy and Trini are the teams egg heads and I like them in that role. There was also a hint of story 4 in there as well..._

_Just to address a review from the last chapter, I try and update as regularly as I can but I also hae a full time job so finding time is always a challenge. I will update at least once a week so anything during the week (like today) is usually a bonus for me. _


	21. Misty Mountain Hop

_Chapter 21 – Misty Mountain Hop_

_Ferbruary 24 1997 – Machine Empire Moon Base_

King Mondo paced slowly across the floor of his throne room, quietly simmering with rage. Not only had the rangers acquired the powers of the gold ranger but his malfunctioning creation, Louie Kaboom, was still causing him problems. He needed a way to eliminate both of these nuisances and soon, he didn't think that his circuitry could take much more of this.

"Stop pacing dear", Queen Machina said as she entered the throne room, "your oil with boil".

"I can't help it my queen", he replied, "I've got too many things to worry about right now".

The queen sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if this is all worth it", she began, "all of these defeats won't be good for young Sprockets development".

"You know that Dark Specter won't allow us to withdraw", he snapped, "just saying such a thing is treason". Machina bowed her in deference and allowed her husband to continue pacing.

She walked over to their viewing station and located the rangers down on Earth. Machina saw them in the hallway of their high school, promoting their latest cause, "Look at them", she began, "why bother saving the environment when we're going to take over anyway".

King Mondo walked over to the viewing station and stood behind his wife. As he studied the images a plan slowly began to formulate, "That's it, I know how to eliminate the rangers and Louie Kaboom once and for all". He moved away from the screen and looked over the balcony, "I'll choke the air on their planet with pollution. Soon they won't be able to breathe and they will simply drop dead from the lack of oxygen".

"But what about Louie", the queen asked, "he doesn't need oxygen to live".

"Strictly speaking no", Mondo began, "but his internal systems need fresh air to keep his processors cool. Without oxygen he won't be able to keep cool and his microchips will literally melt".

"Your evil knows no bounds", Machina praised, "now which bot did you want to use for this?"

"All of our monsters have been miserable failures", Mondo stated, "I will lead this mission myself, that way it will be a guaranteed success".

If King Mondo could smile he would do so right now. With the Earth fully polluted and his main threats destroyed, there would be no one left to oppose his conquest of the planet. Turning on his heel, he left the throne room to begin planning.

_Angel Grove High_

It was after school and the teens were busy taking down their environmental awareness display. Trini had the idea for the display as part of her final project for biology class and the majority of visitors had been very impressed. Part of the project was to try and gather volunteers to help clean up the lake and the surrounding shoreline. Unfortunately most of the ranger's battles took place in that area, leading to a build up of scrap metal and broken robot parts. The teens felt partially responsible for the damage caused so it was a project they happily supported.

As Jason removed the banner from the table, the new gold ranger was eagerly awaiting his first full run out as a ranger again. Billy had run some tests on his powers and discovered that Pyramidas could be combined with the red battlezord. The giant pyramid could also carry the Zeo zords and form the Zeo Ultrazord. According to the readings it would be significantly more powerful than any other zord combination ever.

Jason was also a little nervous, this would be the first time he would be on regular ranger duty for over two years. His one off appearance as the original red ranger a few months ago didn't count to him. He was just providing backup to the main team of rangers but now he was fully part of the action again.

He was pulled from his thoughts by someone approaching from behind. Jason turned around and saw Ashley Hammond, one of the cheerleaders from the year below, standing in front of him, "Did I miss the chance to sign up for cleaning duty?" she asked.

"Not at all", Jason replied as he handed her a clipboard, "I didn't realise you were a keen environmentalist?"

"Well the lake is one of my favourite spots and I'm fed up of seeing the rubbish built up along the shore", she replied. Ashley handed the clipboard back to Jason but then let out a deep cough.

The gold ranger looked down at the signup sheet and saw that the cheerleader had added more than her name to the list, "Didn't want to volunteer alone I see?"

"I'm sure TJ, Carlos, Cassie and Charlotte won't mind", she laughed but before she could continue, she was struck by another coughing fit that had her doubled over.

Jason frowned at the sight of Ashley bent over in pain, "That's a nasty cough you've got there, do you want to me to get some water?"

Ashley shook her head, "No thanks, I know exactly what the problem is". She reached into her purse and pulled out an inhaler. Ashley took a deep puff from the device before placing it back in her purse, "My asthma only plays up when the pollution level's high, another good reason to clean up the city I suppose", she smiled. "Well I'd better get going, catch you later Jason".

As he watched Ashley disappear down the corridor, he began to mull over what she had said. When he had arrived at school today the air was clear and the weather forecast hadn't predicted high pollution levels. He glanced out the window and saw that the atmosphere was hazier than usual. His old ranger sense began to tingle, something didn't feel right. He approached the other rangers, who had gathered a bit further down the corridor, "Guys I think Mondo might be up to something".

"I know you're eager to wear the uniform again bro but we haven't heard anything from Zordon", Tommy replied with a smile.

"I've just got this feeling that something's wrong", he replied. To help explain his point he dragged Billy to the nearest window, "take a look at that".

Billy took one look at the smoggy atmosphere and agreed that something definitely wasn't right. "Curious the acumination of polluting particles in the upper atmosphere isn't following any pattern that I'm aware of".

"So it's a bit dusty", Rocky replied, "is that a massive problem".

"Depends what's causing it", Trini stated before turning to Billy, "could you use the laptop to run a detailed analysis?"

Billy nodded, "An excellent idea, I'll need somewhere quiet to make sure no one sees what we're up to". He paused for thought for a moment before snapping his fingers, "I know just the place, follow me everyone".

He led the others down the corridor and in the direction of the IT department. They passed the main classrooms before the former blue ranger stopped in front an unmarked door. He opened it up and went inside without knocking and the others followed close behind. Inside the room were a couple of workbenches that were littered with computer parts and half built computers. The room wasn't very big but all eight of them were able to fit inside with a little bit of room to spare.

"Hey this room is restricted", they heard a familiar voice call out from a small cupboard in the corner. Xander stepped out of the small room and shook his head when he caught sight of the teens, "Oh it's you lot, you could knock next time you know".

"Sorry about that", Tanya apologised for the group, "but this is an emergency. We need somewhere secure to fire up your old laptop", Billy pulled the old government issue device out from his laptop bag.

Xander sighed, "Ok place it over there", he said pointed to a free area on one of the workbenches. "What's the emergency this time?"

"Not sure yet", Tommy replied, "the atmosphere outside has gone really hazy and Billy wanted to use the weather program to see what's happening".

Xander nodded, "The program on there has a delay of about ten minutes so you won't be able to see what's happening in real time". He opened the draw nearest to him and pulled out a small device, "I created something to overcome the delay and obtain the data from the GPS satellites directly".

He threw the box over to Billy who look it over with suspicion, "Is this legal?" Xander responded with a non committal shrug, "Right probably best not to ask", he added. Billy plugged the device in and loaded up the weather program. The images on screen showed a large cloud spreading out slowly across the Earth and the thickness of the cloud seemed to be increasing.

"That's not natural is it?" Kat asked and pointed at the screen, "look the outer edges of the clouds are a perfect circle".

"You're right Kat", Billy agreed with the pink ranger before turned to Jason, "looks like you were right".

"I really wish I wasn't though", Jason replied, "can we find out where the clouds are originating from?"

"Billy the program can calculate that using it's built in mathematical algorithm", Xander stated, Billy nodded but everyone else was completely lost.

The former blue ranger typed away furiously on the keyboard as the program begin to follow his instructions. After a couple of moments it settled on a location at the foot of the mountains outside of the city, "Ok I've found it, the center of the cloud mass is in that area".

"Then let's go check it out", Tommy stated to the rangers, "Billy, you and Trini go back to the Power Chamber and see if Alpha can work on anything from his end". Billy nodded and the non rangers made some room for the others, "It's morphin' time".

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

"Zeo Ranger V Red"

"Gold Ranger Power"

As the six rangers teleported away, Billy closed down his laptop and placed it into its bag, "You're welcome to come with us", Trini said, "we could use an extra pair of eyes".

"Thanks but I need to find Aimi and warn her", he replied.

"Are you sure?" Billy stated, "according to the computer the build up of gases will make any kind of movement difficult in the near future".

"If Trini was out there by herself, would you leave her behind?" he asked. Billy nodded slowly in acknowledgement of his point, "Beside I've got this just in case", he reached into a cupboard and pulled out a gas mask.

"Is there anything you don't have stored in this room", Trini smiled.

"Best to be prepared for any situation", Xander replied simply, "now you two get going I'll be fine".

Billy took off his communicator and threw it over to Xander, "Take that, when you catch up with Aimi use it to teleport both of you to the Power Chamber". Xander nodded in appreciation before Trini took hold of Billy and teleported them both away.

_Mountains outside Angel Grove_

When the rangers landed the first thing they noticed was the thick layer of pollution in the area. Their helmets blocked out the toxic fumes and also enhanced their sight so they could still see but even then it was difficult to keep moving.

"I can't believe the Machine Empire you stoop to this", Adam commented as he followed closely behind Tommy.

"They seem much more ruthless that Rita and Zedd were", Jason added as his used the golden power staff to provide a little extra light.

"Whatever's causing this should be just ahead", Tommy said from the head of the queue.

The rangers paused in front of a large machine that looked like a giant organ. The numerous pipes spouting out from the top of the machine were belching out thick smoke in to the atmosphere. Around the machine were a number of electrical panels providing power, "So how do we stop this thing?" Tanya asked the others.

Rocky looked over the computer screen, "The writing's in some weird alien language", he began, "I don't know where the off button is".

As the others tried to operate the computer, Jason made his way over to one of the electrical panels. If he could find a way to cut the power, it might stop the smoke production. Unfortunately there was no obvious off switch on these either. He then remembered that he was carrying his power staff in his hand. Turning the pointed end toward the ground he rammed it straight into the electric panel. In a shower of sparks the panel exploded, sending the gold ranger flying into the air. He landed in a heap near the other teens.

"Jason!" Kat cried, "are you ok?"

"Yeah, terrific", Jason grumbled as he struggled to get to his feet.

"Are you trying to become the first ranger to be pensioned off twice", Tommy joked as he helped his best friend up.

Jason shook his head to clear some of the cobwebs, "It worked didn't it". Indeed it had, the machine was still producing smoke but it was nowhere near as thick as earlier. Slowly but surely the pollution began to thin.

"For once I wish that you pesky rangers would stay out of my way", they all heard from behind them. Out of the haze stepped King Mondo, staff in hand and ready for a battle, "I had the perfect plan to eliminate all of my enemies in one go and you just went and ruined it".

"I apologise for wanting to breath", Rocky called out sarcastically.

"So where's your latest monster then Mondo" Tommy added, "aren't you going to taunt us about how we can't possibly win this time".

"Oh you really won't win this time red ranger", Mondo replied. "There's no monster this time, I decided to end your existence myself. You should feel honoured, there aren't many who have been granted that privilege".

The other rangers were surprised, they hadn't see Mondo fight before so they had no idea how strong he was. He didn't look the most mobile of robots but appearances could be deceptive. As Mondo readied his staff, the ranger adopted their own fighting stance. This was the opportunity they had been waiting for, a chance to eliminate the head of the Machine Empire. They could only hope they were strong enough to overcome his power. With a battle cry, the two sides charged towards each other.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	22. The King Is Dead

_Chapter 22 – The King Is Dead_

_Previously - The other rangers were surprised, they hadn't see Mondo fight before so they had no idea about how strong he was. He didn't look the most mobile of robots but appearances could be deceptive. As Mondo readied his staff, the ranger adopted their own fighting stance. This was the opportunity they had been waiting for, a chance to eliminate the head of the Machine Empire. They could only hope they were strong enough to overcome his power. With a battle cry, the two sides charged towards each other. _

_Power Chamber_

The Power Chamber was safely protected against the Machine Empire's toxic smog. Alpha had let on that as long as Zordon was around, the building was practically indestructible. Inside Billy and Trini were working frantically to try and find a solution to the growing pollution problem. The haze generated by the Machine Empire was preventing any communication with the rangers on the ground. In addition it was blocking the signal from the viewing globe, so they were literally and figuratively working in the dark.

Almost unnoticed by the teens, Xander teleporting with Aimi in tow. The pair removed their gas masks and approached the two former rangers, "Please tell me you have some good news", Xander asked.

"Yes and no", Billy replied, "the pollution output has reduced significantly but not enough for the wind to dissipate the particles already in the atmosphere".

"So no last minute grand rescue plan then?" Xander stated with a small smile.

Trini shook her head, "Not yet, still working on it".

Aimi meanwhile was pacing furiously, she couldn't stay in the same position for more than a few seconds, "Guys I need to find Cassie and bring her back here".

"What! Aimi you can't do that", Trini exclaimed.

"I can't leave her out there, she's the only family I have", she replied.

"We all have family out there", Trini snapped, stunning the other occupants of the room. She took a few seconds to calm herself, "Look I'm sorry, I'm just really stressed right now".

"I think what Trini is trying to say is that we know exactly what you mean", Billy added as he placed his arms around Trini's shoulders. "Trying to find a solution is taking out minds off the danger our loved ones are in".

Aimi nodded quickly, "You're right", she took a few deep breathes to try and help focus her mind on the current situation. "I'm pleased that we've got three geniuses like you working on something to suck the pollution out the sky".

Suddenly Alpha's head jerked upwards, "What did you say Aimi?"

"Oh Alpha, sorry I didn't see you there", she replied, "I forgot to include you amongst the geniuses".

Alpha shook his head, "I'm flattered but the part about sucking the pollution away".

Billy slapped his hand against his forehead, "Of course why didn't we think of that, we can modify the chimney of the Power Chamber to act like a giant vacuum".

"Wait, you can do that?" Trini asked.

"That tube isn't on there for decoration Trini", Alpha began, "it's designed to convert the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into oxygen for the main chamber".

"I always wondered how you got air in here without a window", Xander stated.

"So we can turn it up to eleven and drain the pollution away", Aimi asked.

Alpha's body language showed that he wasn't too confident, "In theory but we've never attempted it on such a large scale before, it may take several hours".

"Then we'd better get started", Billy began, "I'll begin work on designing an exhaust outlet for any excess gases. Xander you can help me with that if you'd like", the former agent nodded in agreement before following Billy into his workshop.

"I'll give you a hand reprogramming the systems Alpha", Trini stated as she joined Alpha at his console.

This left Aimi standing alone in the middle of the Power Chamber. She wasn't dumb by any means but advanced engineering and computer programming were way out of her league. "I'll, erm, go make coffee", she called out to no one in particular. When no one responded she retreated to the refreshment area of the Power Chamber to avoid disturbing them.

_Angel Grove Mountains_

Despite their superior numbers, the rangers were finding out why King Mondo was feared throughout the galaxy. Their initial fears that Mondo's girth was masking his agility turned out to be true. For a heavy robot he moved across the ground extremely quickly, several times the rangers would launch an attack only for Mondo to dodge out the way. The only ranger who was getting close to him was Jason. The golden zeo crystal gave the gold ranger a natural boost of speed.

Jason swung his power staff at Mondo, only for the machine king to block it with his own weapon. Moving quickly the gold ranger ducked another blow before landing a quick kick to Mondo's midsection. The blow staggered him enough to give Jason a little breathing room, "It's time for a gold rush", he called. The top of his staff opened and golden energy sped towards his enemy, however, Mondo easily dodged the energy blast. With a spin of his staff he was able to deflect a few back at the gold ranger. Jason was knocked off his feet, sliding to a stop several feet away. His fellow rangers gathered around him to check that he was alright.

Unseen by the combatants, Louie Kaboom took cover behind a large rock. When he felt the increase of pollution, he knew that King Mondo was responsible. He immediately tracked down the source to his location, only to be surprised when he saw the rangers were already here and Mondo was engaging them in combat.

Louie had initially planned to confront Mondo and use this opportunity to seize the throne for himself. But now the rangers were here, it was the perfect chance to eliminate them at the same time. He pulled out the sonic pistol he had acquired from one of the agents in Egypt a few weeks ago. He had made a few modifications that would scramble the circuits of King Mondo for long enough to make a final strike. All he could do for now was wait for that perfect opportunity.

Back at the battle the rangers were trying to think of a new strategy to use against the machine king. The zeo blaster and cannon hadn't worked and neither was attacking him one at a time. If they couldn't destroy Mondo and his pollution machine, the whole planet was doomed. "We've thrown everything at this guy, what more can we do?" Tommy asked the group.

Everyone shook their heads, "Sorry bro I'm drawing a blank here", Jason stated

"I can't even reach the Power Chamber", Kat said to everyone.

King Mondo laughed, "Maybe I should make your problems a lot bigger". With a groan of metal Mondo began to grow to giant size. The rangers weren't sure how he had managed it without Klank and Orbus but that was a matter for another time.

"Alright this is a chance to use all of our zords", Tommy began. He addressed the green ranger first, "Adam you take charge of the Zeo megazord", the green ranger nodded in confirmation. "I'll take the red battlezord and Jason can use Pyramidas".

"Right", everyone confirmed.

"We need Zeo Zord Power now"

"Red Battlezord power up"

"I call upon the power of Pyramidas"

The zords came lumbering into view and the ranger's teleported to their respective crafts. The individual Zeo Zords combined to form the megazord as the red battlezord came and stood next to it. Pyramidas hovered in the air just above the other two megazords, "Shall we form the ultrazord that Billy mentioned?" Adam asked the red and gold rangers.

"Not yet", Jason replied, "let's keep that little party piece secret for now".

"Your fancy toys are still no match for me", Mondo roared as he attacked the megazord first. The rangers weren't prepared for an immediate attack and they were knocked to the ground. The red battlezord came to their defence and fired off shots from its gattling guns. Even in giant form Mondo was still extremely quick and he was able to dodge out the way of most of the shots. Some did find their target and Mondo sustained superficial scratches to his chassis.

Jason used Pyramidas to launch an aerial assult and fired off all the zords weaponry. Initially Mondo was confused by the barrage and he took several shots on the back and arms, exposing the circuitry and wiring underneath. He soon found his bearings again and the gold ranger's zord was in his sights, "Now I'm really mad", he cried and fired off a blast from his staff. The shot his Pyramidas directly and smoke started billowing out from the craft.

"I'm hit", Jason cried, "I'm going down". Pyramidas hit the ground with a mighty thud, sending dirt and debris into the air.

"Jason!" Tanya called out from the megazord, "are you alright".

"Yeah I'm fine", the gold ranger replied, "the auto repair will take care of most of the damage but I need to rest for a few minutes".

In the confusion of Pyramidas crashing to the ground, none of the other rangers saw Mondo charge up his staff for another blast. The bolts hit the megazord and the red battlezord directly and they slumped to the ground, "We've lost all power", Rocky called out.

"My shields are down", Tommy added.

King Mondo laughed, "Pathetic really", he said as he looked down over the three zords in front of him, "a pity as well, I could have used technology like this in my army".

He began to charge up another blast bit from out of nowhere, he was hit by an energy blast from behind. Mondo fell to his knees before crashing face first to the ground. The rangers were stunned to see that their saviour was none other than a giant Louie Kaboom. "Oh how the mighty have fallen", he said to Mondo and the rangers, "all of my enemies in the same place".

Mondo rolled on his back so he could look at his attacker, "What have you done to me?"

"Just knocked out your primary motors", Kaboom replied as he twirled the stolen sonic pistol around his finger. "Should be long enough for eliminate you and take my place as the head of the Machine Empire".

"You'll never get away with this", Mondo stated.

Louie Kaboom just laughed in response, "I should thank you for weakening the rangers for me, I can succeed where you have failed for so long. Dark Specter will reward me handsomely".

Whilst the two villains were talking, the rangers used the opportunity to get their systems back on line, "I think it's time for the Ultrazord", Tommy said to the others.

"Pyramidas is ready to go", Jason replied, "beginning the sequence".

The megazord came apart into its individual zords as a hatch opened up on the back of Pyramidas. The pyramid had extended its base to form legs and tilted up on its side. The red battlezord attached to the top and the zord began to stand on its legs. It was easily three times the size of Mondo and Louie Kaboom below them. As the rangers filed into the main cockpit, they couldn't help but admire the view below.

"Don't think I've ever been this high in a zord before", Tommy said as he looked down to the ground.

"Don't be getting scared now bro", Jason joked from his seat in front, "shall we show these two what the Zeo Ultrazord can do".

The giant zord began charging all its weapons before unleashing a mighty blast at Mondo and Louie Kaboom. The rocket man could see the blast coming and jumped out the way but King Mondo had no chance. Without any propulsion he took the full blast from the Ultrazord. The sprocket shaped crown symbolically flew off his head before he fell to the ground and exploded.

Louie Kaboom picked he crown up and thought about his new move. He looked up and saw the Zeo Ultrazord looming above him. From the sounds it was making it was preparing another blast. Deciding to live to fight another day, he waived the crown at the rangers before flying away into the atmosphere.

"The king is dead, long live the king", Kat stated dryly.

"But we still got rid of King Mondo, that's one obstacle out the way", Rocky replied.

"Rocky's right", Tommy stated, "there's just one thing left to do". Manoeuvring the ultrazord closer to the pollution machine, the giant zord stepped on it. The device was crushed and immediately the pollution began to thin. The ultrazord disassembled into its component parts and flew away back to base.

_Machine Empire Moon Base_

Queen Machina couldn't believe it, the ruler of the Empire and her husband had been destroyed by the Power Rangers. There wasn't even enough of him left to salvage. As a robot she didn't feel any emotion for the loss of her husband, more an inconvenience that their plans had been delayed. She was still processing the information when she heard footsteps entering the throne room. Machina turned around and saw Louie Kaboom approaching, complete with her husband's crown, "I'll give Mondo some credit, he went out in style".

"He was twice the robot you'll ever be", Machine spat back.

"Yes his chassis was a bit tubby wasn't it", Louie joked. "Now onto more serious matters, I hear that your Empire needs a new ruler. We all know that female robots aren't allowed to rule, that's been programmed into all of the Machine Empire's droids".

"Prince Sprocket will take the throne then", Machina said.

"Please", Louie replied, "that little can opener couldn't rule a straight line on a piece of paper". He then approached Machina a little more menacingly, "plus we know that he isn't Mondo's first built son don't we".

Queen Machina gasped, "How could you possibly know that?"

"I have my ways", Louie replied, "now I won't tell anyone that Sprocket isn't the rightful heir to the throne but only if you crown me King".

Machina looked hesitant but she couldn't see any other solution. She led Louie over to the royal balcony where the gathered minions of the Machine Empire had gathered. Taking the crown from Louie, she slowly placed it on his head. The crowds cheered as Louie soaked up the applause, "Thank you, the applause is well deserved", he called out arrogantly, "From this day forth, I shall be known as King Louie Kaboom the Awesome". He gave a royal wave as Machina disappeared into the shadows, she had a few calls to make. Louie Kaboom's insolence would not go unpunished.

_**A/N – **__Louie Kaboom was right, King Mondo really did go down in style. So there's the introduction of the Zeo Ultrazord and the final appearance of Mondo. Unlike in Zeo (and like his counterpart in Ohranger) he's gone and isn't coming back. There was a point around about here where I lost my mojo for this story and chapter became difficult to write. I really struggled for direction and I hope it doesn't come across here. Good news is I've got my motivation back and I've began planning the fourth story in this series._

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed, please do keep them coming. _


	23. King For A Day

_Chapter 23 – King For A Day_

_February 28 1997 – Machine Empire Moon Base_

The first few days of King Louie Kaboom the Awesome's reign as the head of the Machine Empire had been largely uneventful. Louie had spent the time consolidating his power, which wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be. Most of the robotic grunts didn't have independent thinking so all the rocket man had to do was rewrite the master control program to name himself as the new leader. The cogs and all other grunts immediately became subservient to him.

The real problem was the remaining royal family, who weren't going to be as easy to control. Queen Machina had been surprisingly quiet since the takeover but Louie suspected that she was up to something. Paranoia was setting in and he had barely left the machine queen alone. Currently Louie had lost her in the network of tunnels that made up the Moon Base.

He was just about to give up when Machina walked up behind him, "Ah Louie there you are my dear", she began sweetly, "I've been looking everywhere for you. We've received a call from the United Alliance of Evil and your presence is required immediately".

Louie puffed out his chest with pride and followed Machina into the communication room. On the viewing screen was Dark Specter's second in command, Ecliptor, "So you must be Louie Kaboom", he began, "Machina has told me all about you".

"All good I hope", Louie replied.

"Completely", Ecliptor responded, "in particular she has praised how quickly you have exercised your control over the Empire".

"Really?" Louie answered as he glanced over at Machina, who was standing in the corner of the room.

"Oh yes, there is one problem though", Ecliptor began, "Dark Specter demands that his primary leaders and heads of state lead from the front. To enable you to command efficiently, you must win a significant battle against any of Dark Specter's enemies".

Louie nodded, "I understand completely", he replied, "I know just where to begin".

"Good because you will not be allowed to lead the Machine Empire until you have a least one victory under your belt. Do I make myself clear?" Louie Kaboom nodded and left the communication room immediately. Queen Machina left her spot in the corner of the room and approached the screen, " I trust this is to your satisfaction Machina?"

She nodded in response, "Thank you Ecliptor".

"Don't thank me yet", he began, "if by some miracle he can defeat the Power Rangers then you'll be stuck with him. I will not interfere on your behalf again". He let that comment sink in before continuing, "I suggest you get your house in order, perhaps it's time to ask the prodigal son to return", and with that final remark he shut down communications, leaving Machina to think about his words.

_Angel Grove Youth Center_

The outside terrace of the Youth Center was quiet today, after the toxic cloud the residents were reluctant to head outside. At the table nearest the entrance, Kat sat by herself and nervously stirred her drink. She had asked Tommy to meet her this afternoon as there was something she wanted to talk with his about.

She had something she wanted to get off her chest for a while but she had been reluctant to say anything to the red ranger. The last few days had made her re-evaluate everything, if the Machine Empire could create a device to choke everyone on the planet to death, then she didn't want to die with any regrets.

The door to the terrace opened and Tommy appeared. She smiled as the red ranger approached her, "Hi Tommy, did you want a drink?"

"No time for that Kat, we've got trouble", he replied and pointed at his communicator, "we'll have to reschedule".

The pink ranger's face fell slightly, "Alright another time then", she cursed her bad luck and Louie Kaboom's terrible timing as she and Tommy teleported away. When they arrived at the Power Chamber, the others had been assembled by Zordon to assess the latest threat. Louie Kaboom hadn't wasted anytime in acting upon Ecliptor's orders and he was heading towards the industrial district of the city. It was an unusual move as the rangers couldn't remember an attack on that area before. There wasn't a huge amount of property in the area and it wasn't very populated. There didn't seem to be anything of value in that region of the city.

"What are you up to Louie", Tommy whispered as he observed the viewing globe.

"He's not causing any damage, at least that's something", Kat added.

After a few minutes Louie stopped outside a factory in the middle of the industrial district. Initially they weren't sure why he had picked this particular building, until Billy peered over their shoulders, "That's the chemical treatment plant".

"The what?" the others asked in unison.

"It's used to treat the water in the city", Billy began, "it purifies our waste water and makes it drinkable again".

"So if it's damaged, Angel Grove won't have any water to drink?" Adam asked.

"Precisely", Billy replied, "it could be more devastating than that though. The chemicals on their own are harmless, however, if handled in the wrong way the effects could be disastrous".

"If they were blown up for example", Tanya stated as she pointed at the viewing globe. On the screen they saw Louie Kaboom placing explosive charges around the factory.

"Louie Kaboom living up to his name", Jason quipped.

"Looks like that's our call to action", Tommy began, "it's morphin' time".

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger II Yellow"

"Zeo Ranger III Blue"

"Zeo Ranger IV Green"

"Zeo Ranger V Red"

"Gold Ranger Power"

As the rangers teleported to the factory, all Billy and Alpha could do was stand back and watch. "This is the part I hate", Billy began, "I don't know how you manage it Alpha".

"My programming", the robot replied simply, "I'm programmed to assist the rangers where possible. If I'm flapping about then I won't be operating within my preset parameters".

Billy sighed, "Sometimes I wish I was a robot". The pair watched the battle unfold on the viewing globe, as before Louie Kaboom was a tough opponent but he didn't look particularly challenging to the rangers. Zordon had explained to the rangers when they took up the zeo powers that the zeo crystal would continue to increase their strength the longer they were bonded to it. This concerned Billy slightly as surely there was a finite level of power the human body could take.

He would have to conduct further research into another time as there was a battle on. Louie Kaboom was certainly resilient as he kept coming back for more after the ranger's attacks. Billy noticed that Jason was missing from the battle. He was just about to ask Alpha if he'd seen him when the Power Chambers communicator went off, "Billy here", the former blue ranger answered.

"Billy it's Jason, I could use your help man".

"What's up Jason?"

"I need to defuse these bombs", the gold ranger began, "they're set to go off in five minutes. Any ideas?"

"A few but I'd need to be there to defuse them properly", he replied.

"No way it's too dangerous here", Jason responded.

"I've been in the ranger business just as long as you have", Billy shot back, "I think I know how to watch my back".

"I know man but I have a suit to protect me, you don't", came Jason's response.

Billy thought about that for a moment, "That's where you're wrong, I'll see you in a couple of minutes". He shut down communications before the gold ranger could reply and sprinted out of the Power Chamber.

_Chemical Treatment Plant_

It had been a few minutes since Jason had called the Power Chamber and the gold ranger was getting nervous. The timers on the bombs were now under two minutes and there was still no sign of Billy. He wondered what the young genius had in mind, none of the ranger suits on display in the Power Chamber would offer protection anymore. They were simply decorative pieces again. The sound of teleportation grabbed his attention and he turned around to face the new arrival.

He almost broke out laughing under his helmet when he caught site of Billy. Somehow he had found a bomb disposal suit, a padded green one piece with matching helmet and face mask. "Where did you find that?" Jason asked.

"Zordon is surprisingly well prepared", was Billy's simple response, "now stand back, time's running out". He approached the bomb and opened up a metal container he was carrying. Whatever was inside the container it was smoking. Billy poured some of the mystery liquid onto the bomb and took a few paces back. "Alright that should do it", he stated.

"Erm Billy the timers still counting down", Jason said nervously.

"I know", Billy replied, "don't worry nothing's going to happen". The gold ranger couldn't help but feel nervous as the final seconds ticked away. He very nearly teleported just before the timer hit zero but he trusted his friend's judgement. As predicted by Billy when the time ran out nothing happened.

"What did you do to it?" Jason asked.

"I poured some liquid nitrogen on it", Billy replied, "I read a theory somewhere that it would work. Apparently that theory's true".

"Your ingenuity surprises me sometimes Billy", Jason smiled, "and Zordon just so happened to have liquid nitrogen lying around?"

"Apparently Zordon is very well prepared", Billy joked. Suddenly the sound of groaning metal caught their attention. They turned around and saw Louie Kaboom towering over them, "looks like that's my cue to leave", Billy stated and teleported away.

Jason sprinted towards the other rangers and called his zord. He leapt into the air and was taken immediately to the cockpit of Pyramidas. The golden pyramid swooped into action between the Zeo megazord and the red battlezord, firing off a barrage of laser fire at Louie Kaboom. The red battlezod took its turn next, using its gattling guns against the rocket man robot. Louie staggered slightly as the bullets tore into his chassis. He now had visible bullet holes on his torso but he still refused to go down.

"Man what do we have to do to beat this guy", Tanya called out from the megazord. The rangers in the megazord called on the Zeo IV battle helmet. The megazord lowered its head and charged at Louie. The horns penetrated Louie's lower body, tearing off large chunks of metal. Kaboom was thrown back but he still kept coming at the rangers. Switching back to the Zeo V battle helmet, they called on the Zeo power sword and tried to slice Louie Kaboom. One of the attacks took the nose section of Louie's rocket off but they still couldn't land the final blow.

"I think it's time to bring them all together", Tommy said to the others as he initiated the Zeo Ultrazord formation. When all the zords were brought together, the Ultrazord towered over Louie Kaboom. Unlike their earlier encounter the rocket man didn't run away. The Ultrazord powered up all weapons and unleashed a multi-coloured blast at Louie Kaboom. He didn't stand a chance at repelling the attack and he was literally torn to pieces. The remains of the rocket man collapsed and exploded on contact with the ground. The reign of King Louie Kaboom the Awesome was over.

From the shadows of the industrial district, Queen Machina observed the final destruction of Louie Kaboom. She was pleased that the throne usurper had been destroyed but also furious that the rangers had once again emerged victorious. As the zords disappeared back to their hiding place, Queen Machina began to walk away as well. She still had one more ace up her mechanical sleeve and now was the time to play it.

_Power Chamber_

Back at base the Power Rangers were celebrating the destruction of Louie Kaboom. Even though he was a rouge element in the Machine Empire, he was a figurehead that everyone could rally around. Coupled with the destruction of King Mondo left the Machine Empire severely weakened. As Alpha handed out a tray of sodas, the only one not in the party spirit was Tommy. He couldn't help but think there was more to come from the Machine Empire. As he perched on a nearby console, Kat came over to join him with a drink in hand, "Hey Tommy, don't feel like celebrating?"

"Sorry Kat, if got this nagging feeling", he replied.

"About the Machine Empire?"

"Yeah", he paused for a moment before continuing, "this was before your time but whenever we think we've gotten rid of an important enemy, someone else takes their place. I remember when Lord Zedd replaced Rita, then when Zedd was incapacitated Scorpina came back more powerful than ever. Then there was Master Vile and I'm sure you remember the Nusiachi as well as anyone".

Kat nodded recalled her time as a brainwashed ninja, "So you think there's someone more powerful waiting to take over".

"Silly I know", Tommy replied, "we haven't seen any evidence of anyone else who could replace Mondo".

"Yeah Queen Machina doesn't strike me as the warrior type", Kat began. "Klank seems like a talented engineer but not much of a fighter and Sprocket is much to young to be considered a true threat".

Tommy smiled, "You've really thought about this".

"Just because I'm not the fearless leader doesn't mean I can't strategise like you", she joked. She and Tommy smiled at each other before continuing, "You can't worry too much about the future, otherwise you'll miss what's happening in the present". Tommy felt there was another meaning behind Kat's statement, he was even more surprised when the Australian took hold of his hand, "Tommy there's a movie that I want to go and see", she paused briefly, "and I wanted to know if you'd come with me?"

Tommy was surprised he didn't know Kat liked him that way, suddenly her comment about missing what's happening in the present made much more sense. For Kat it had difficult to work up the nerve to ask Tommy out. Not only did she have to overcome her natural shyness, she also had to overcome the Kimberly factor. She knew that the former pink ranger still harboured feelings for Tommy but she couldn't fight her own emotions anymore.

She had worked up the courage to discuss it with Kim a few days ago. At first she had been furious that Kat would even consider it but after calming down she had changed her mind. Kim realised that if she was silly enough to let Tommy go then she shouldn't stop him from finding happiness somewhere else. After Kim reassured her that she wouldn't hold any ill feelings to Kat, it gave her the courage to reach this point.

After a long pause the red ranger smiled at Kat, "Yeah I'd like that".

Kat breathed a sigh of relief, "Great we'll talk about it more later". They rejoined the ongoing party, much to the delighted cat-calling of their friends. With the destruction of the second leader of the Machine Empire, today felt like a new beginning, in a number of different ways.

_**A/N – **__The Machine Empire leaders are falling like flies, first Mondo and now Louie. That chapter had a bit of everything, an Ecliptor cameo, the Zeo Ultrazord and the beginning of Tommy/Kat. Today I'm going to be writing the final main chapter of this story so I can reveal there's only 10 to go until I "shift into Turbo". _


	24. OK Computer

_Chapter 24 – OK Computer _

_March 9 1997 – Angel Grove High_

It had been a quiet couple of weeks since the defeat of Louie Kaboom and the teens were enjoying a little downtime. Without a figurehead the Machine Empire were struggling to launch a concentrated attack. There were a few random cogs attacks and the odd disgruntled general to deal with but nothing too challenging. There wasn't a plan behind the attacks either, just a group of robots fighting because that's what they were programmed to do.

On a personal level for the rangers, Tommy and Kat's date appeared to be a success. The pair hadn't discussed it with the others in great detail but they were always close to each since the date. The teens were happy for both of their friends, they both could use a little happiness in their lives.

It was after school at Angel Grove High and the rangers together with Billy and Trini had gathered in the IT department. With the rise in popularity of personal computers and the internet, the teens felt a bit behind with the times and wanted to improve their computer skills. With college or personal business ventures on the horizon, they wanted to maximise any future opportunities wherever possible.

At the front of the classroom Billy and Trini had agreed to educate their friends and they had roped Xander into assisting them. As a faculty member of the school, it would allow them to use the computers after hours. "Thank you for agreeing to help us", Billy said to Xander.

"Not a problem", he replied, "I am a teacher at this school so I probably should do some teaching".

"Since when have you been a teacher", Rocky called out, "I thought you were just the technician?"

"I was until Principle Kaplin called me into his office last week", Xander began, "because I know more about computers than the current staff, he offered me a teaching position".

"Surely just knowing stuff doesn't make you qualified as a teacher, I should know I'm looking into teacher training programs", Kat stated.

"Yeah by that logic, Billy should be teaching every class", Tommy joked.

"Wouldn't get any complaints from me", Trini smiled at her boyfriend and lent her head on his shoulder.

Xander raised his hands above his head, "Alright enough mocking my teaching credentials, let's get started shall we". He turned on the overhead projector and showed the rangers a list of things they were going to go through today. Everyone logged onto a machine and soon the only sound that filled the classroom was the sound of the keys on the keyboard clicking away.

The rangers picked everything up extremely quickly, considering that they piloted a fleet of advanced zords on a daily basis it wasn't surprising. Soon the three 'teachers' had nothing to do but chat to each other at the front of the class. "You know teaching It would be easier if these machines and network operated quicker", Xander complained.

Trini shook her head, "Surprisingly public schools don't have access to the latest tech".

"Yeah we should be lucky that they upgraded to Windows 95 this year", Billy added.

"Ooh that reminds me", Xander said as he rooted around in the drawer of his desk. He pulled out a CD in a clear plastic case, "Guess who's got a Beta version of Windows Memphis".

Billy took the case from him like he had been handed the holy grail, "No way how did you manage that".

"Yeah the Beta's not meant to be released until June", Trini added.

Xander smiled smugly, "Well we do a lot of work for Bill, so he kindly allowed us an early version. You know so I can test it and see if there are any massive programming errors".

"You've met Bill Gates?" Billy asked nervously.

"Met him, I've got his number", the two teens didn't look convinced so Xander pulled out his cell phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he found the correct name and showed the phone to Billy and Trini. The former blue ranger looked like he was about to hyperventilate.

Trini pushed the cell phone away and prised the disk out of Billy's hand, "Ok take these back before my boyfriends head explodes".

"Erm teachers", Tanya's voice called out from the back of the room, "I think I've clicked on something that I shouldn't have".

The trio made their way over to the yellow rangers workstation. On her screen was a smiling green face that took up the entire monitor. There was some scrolling text going across the middle of the screen stating 'MEAN SCREEN HAS ARRIVED'.

"Tanya what did you do?" Trini asked.

"I dunno", she replied, "I was just on a website and I clicked on something".

"It wasn't a dodgy", Xander used air quotes for this word, "website was it?" Tanya looked slightly horrified at the suggestion, "Cause we won't judge you if it was".

If looks could kill the one Tanya was giving Xander right now would have sent him six feet under, "No it was just a shopping website".

Billy took control of the mouse and keyboard, "Alright let's see if we can get rid of this". He opened up the command window and began typing furiously into the keyboard. After a few minutes frustration was showing on his face and the virus was still on the computer, "I don't understand that should've gotten rid of it".

"I don't want to alarm you Billy", Adam called out, "but my computer has that virus too".

"Yeah mine too", Jason added and Kat, Rocky and Tommy also confirmed the presence of the virus on their machines.

"It must be spreading across the network", Xander began, "I have to access the master system".

Before he could do that the image on the screen changed to show the face of a robot. It had a grey head with white outlines around its eyes. It also had two white antenna that gave it the appearance of a bug, "Good afternoon Earth, I am General Venjix of the Machine Empire", the robot began. "I have uploaded a deadly virus of my own creation to all the computer networks of Angel Grove. In a few short hours every electronic device on the planet will be under the control of me. Try and stop me if you dare". His face vanished from the screen and it returned back to the previous image.

Tommy and the other rangers immediately stood up, "We'll go to the Power Chamber and report this to Zordon", he began, "you three stay here and try and find out a way to stop that virus".

The rangers teleported away and left the three computer experts to get to work, "Ok you heard the boss", Xander replied as he when into a cupboard at the front of the class. He produced two laptops similar to the one Aimi had given Billy a few months ago, "Don't worry these aren't stolen", he stated. He handed one of the laptops to Trini and kept one to himself, "Captain Mitchell sees the potential in you Trini and wants you to have that", he pointed at the laptop.

She ran her hands over the device in awe, it was nothing like the one she had at home, "I don't know what to say, please thank Captain Mitchell for me".

Billy pulled out his own laptop and the three of them got to work, "Ok if we set up personal firewalls on our laptops before connecting to the school network that should stop us from contracting the Venjix virus", he instructed.

The others did as they were told and began to set up defences against the virus, the speed of the government issue laptops made the task simple, "Alright done", Trini stated., Billy nodded as well confirming he was done,

"Alright then connect the network cables", Xander began, "what do you two know about hacking?"

The two teens looks slightly sheepish, "I may have a little experience", Billy began, "nothing major just low level stuff and I may have given Trini some tips as well".

Xander smiled, "Aww look at you two, hackers in crime. It's like looking at a geeky Bonnie and Clyde".

"It's not like we've done any damage", Billy protested, "not like that famous hacker TBX, he brought done most of the systems in the states of California and Nevada".

Xander smiled as Billy spoke and Trini picked up on this, "Don't tell me you're this famous hacker?" she said to Xander

"Who me?" he replied, "no I was never that good, I'm smiling that Billy automatically thought that TBX was a guy".

"It's not", Billy stated, "do you know who it was?"

"Yup and I'll tell you once we've saved the world", Xander began, "we need to trace the source of the upload, there's no point just fighting the virus in the school network".

"Good plan", Trini stated, "I'll work on finding that and as you two are the best coders I've met, you can work on the anti-virus". The trio worked furiously only stopped when they got a radio message from Tommy. The rangers had engaged Venjix and his personal robot Mean Screen in the center of the city. The location of the attack gave Trini a clue to continue her search. Venjix would want to stay near the source of the upload, just in case the rangers found its location. After a couple of minutes Trini shrieked in excitement, "I've found it, the virus started on the library's network downtown".

"Good work", Billy congratulated, "we'll get the anti-virus uploaded. If my calculations are correct it should also reduce the monsters power significantly".

Almost in unison Billy and Xander hit the enter key and uploaded the anti-virus. It was a nervous few minutes for the trio as they waited for an update from the battle site. Without the viewing globe they had no idea what was happening. After what felt like an eternity the classrooms monitors returned to normal. The trio jumped out of their chair in celebration and let out a loud cheer. Xander gave the two teens a high five and Billy and Trini kissed each other passionately.

"Ok that felt pretty good", Billy wheezed breathlessly.

"The victory or the kiss?" Xander asked with a smile. He opened the CD drawer of his laptop and pulled out a disk.

"What's on the CD?" Trini asked.

"I made a copy of the virus", Xander replied, "I thought we could keep it around just in case the Machine Empire tries that trick again".

"I'd be careful with that", Billy replied, "it was extremely aggressive. It was fortunate that we got to it in time, who knows what damage it could have done if it spread out of the city".

Xander looked at the disk in his hand and thought about Billy's words, "I still need to report this to Captain Mitchell, I'll let him have the final decision".

Billy nodded but he was definitely hesitant, "Come on let's catch up with the others, I'm sure they've got a story to tell".

The trio began to leave the classroom when Trini stopped them, "Oh yeah you were going to tell us the identity of the mystery hacker".

Xander smiled, "TBX is non other that Miss Angela Fairweather, you know the agent from the trip to Egypt".

The others were stunned, Angela struck them as smart but not a hacker, "I'm surprised she's not in prison after her that stunt she pulled", Billy stated.

"Well in was Captain Mitchell who caught up with her", Xander began, "he gave her a choice, join the agency or get locked up. She chose the first option and they've been great friends ever since". By now everyone was out the classroom, Xander pulled out his keys and locked the door. He caught up with the teens and they made their way out of the school.

_Warehouse Base, Financial District_

After catching up with the rangers, Xander made his way to the Warehouse to meet up with Captain Mitchell. The rangers had reported that Mean Screen was virtually powerless after the antivirus was uploaded and they needed nothing more than the Zeo Cannon to defeat it. The monster hadn't even grown into a giant, showing that Klank and Orbus weren't present which probably meant the attack wasn't sanctioned. General Venjix wasn't happy and immediately teleported away. His failure and the lack of sanctioning for his attack probably meant they wouldn't see him again for a long time.

As Xander opened the main door to the Warehouse he nervously playing with the disk containing the Venjix virus. He was caught in two minds about what to do with it. He hoped the Captain could offer him some guidance, "Good work today Xander", Mitchell called out.

"Thanks", he replied, "but Billy and Trini need to take some credit as well".

"It's been duly noted", Captain Mitchell replied, "hopefully we can put their talents to use when Miss Kwan has finished school and the Machine Empire has been defeated".

Xander nodded and showed the disk to Captain Mitchell, "I took a copy of the Venjix virus", he paused for a moment, "now I don't know what to do with it".

Captain Mitchell didn't say anything to begin with, he just studied Xander intently. After a few moments he replied, "Go on"

"On the one hand it could be a useful virus to use on the Machine Empire and any future enemies", he began, "but on the other if we lost control of it, it could mean the end of life as we know it".

Captain Mitchell took the disk off Xander and continued to look the young agent in the eye, "I'm not like Harmon", he began, "I'm not going to order you one way or the other. I'm just going to say one thing; Do the right thing"

He handed the disk back to Xander, who stared at it like it was going to explode. After a few minutes thinking about the problem, he opened up the plastic case. He took the disk in his hands and snapped it in half, he then snapped both of those pieces in half as well. He looked back at Captain Mitchell, who had a small smile on his face, "Some things are too dangerous for us to understand", Xander said.

Captain Mitchell nodded, "I understand and for the record I would have done the same thing myself". Xander felt relieved to hear that and he gathered the broken pieces of disk up in his hands. As he looked at them he couldn't be wonder, what would've happened if he made the other decision. Without access to a time machine or a parallel universe he would never get to find out. He bade Captain Mitchell farewell and set off for home.

_**A/N – **__If I ever get round to write any RPM-related stories (that's a long way off), this will be the different between the two universes. In the RPM-verse Xander didn't destroy the disk, it gradually made its way through the government until it ended up in Alphabet Soup. Also Windows Memphis was the working name of Windows 98, didn't know that until I Googled it._

_Now to answer a few questions from reviews of the last chapter. Hallwings – Yes we will see the "Turbo Teens" soon, in a few chapters in fact and Yuri will probably show up in the final chapter. As for Kris, no he's not dead. His mysterious disappear will be explained in the next story. MF22 – Nope no random aging/disappearing to Aquitar for Billy. He and Trini will feature in the next story along with Adam and Kat. Everyone else will go off to college outside of the city. _


	25. Prince Charming

_Chapter 25 – Prince Charming_

_March 19 1997 – Angel Grove Youth Center_

It was an unusually quiet at the Youth Center, only a few patrons were dotted around the inside seating area. There were no scheduled classes today but there were normally a few more customers than this. Behind the bar Cassie sat on one of the tall bar stools, her chin resting in her hands. It was so quiet that she had completed all of her usual jobs. The delivery had been put away, all the tables had been cleared and the dishwasher was empty. Normally on days like today Aimi would allow her to entertain the customers with her singing but as she was by herself today, she had to wait patiently behind the bar.

Sadly patience wasn't a word in Cassie's vocabulary and she sighed audibly as another minute slowly passed by. Just as she was contemplating turning on the television for something to do, the sound of the main doors opening caught her attention. Cassie snapped to attention and waiting to greet her first new customers for nearly half an hour. She was pleased to see Angel Grove High's latest couple, Tommy and Kat, enter the building. The pair were laughing at a joke that the waitress couldn't quite catch. Kat affectionately touched Tommy's arm as they approached the bar, "Hey guys", Cassie greeted, "what can I get you?"

"The usual if you don't mind Cassie", Tommy replied, "bit quiet in here isn't it".

"Yeah tell me about it", she replied as she finished mixing their shakes, "don't think I've even taken a hundred dollars today".

Tommy took a gulp from his drink, "That sucks, we've just been down the park and it's really quiet there too".

"I think everyone's been really nervous since that Machine Empire attack where they tried to choke us to death", Kat added.

Cassie nodded in agreement, if it wasn't for Aimi's supply of agency gasmasks in the supply cupboard, she would have been extremely worried that day. "I've lived in this city for the last few years and seen many monster attacks but the monster alarm really makes me nervous now". She reached over to the soda machine and poured herself a drink, "But hey at least the Power Rangers are here right?"

The couple smiled in response, Cassie caught a little glance between them, almost like they were sharing a private joke between themselves. "So where's the boss today", Tommy began, quickly shifting the subject, "given herself the day off?"

Cassie's body language immediately changed and her shoulders dropped, "Yeah something like that", she muttered as she idly twirled a straw in her drink.

Sensing that something was bothering the waitress, Kat decided to act, "Tommy I think I left my towel in the changing rooms the last time I was here. Can you take a look for me?"

"You want me to go into the girls changing rooms?" the red rangers asked with a confused tone in his voice.

"Don't worry Tommy", Cassie laughed, "no one's in there at the moment. There's a closed sign next to the door, put that on the door to stop anyone coming in". Tommy sighed and trudged off to the changing room, "Not that anyone's likely to come in", Cassie said to Kat.

The pink ranger laughed, "Ok now that I've gotten rid of Tommy, spill". Cassie looked at the floor, thinking that someone had dropped something, "No not that kind of spill", Kat sighed, "I can tell something's bugging you".

"No offence Kat I like you, but I won't consider us good enough friends to start spilling my guts to you", Cassie replied.

Kat shrugged, "Maybe but I'm the best you've got right now".

Cassie stared defiantly at the blonde, however, she saw that she wasn't going to budge. She sighed, "Xander's moving into our apartment today".

"That's good news", however Cassie didn't look so impressed, "isn't it?" Kat continued.

"Don't get me wrong I like the guy, even if he loves motherboards and processers", Cassie replied, "but I'm not sure I want him living with us". She began to mindlessly polish a glass, "Ever since my Mom left for her business trip it's been just me and Aimi and I kinda like it like that", she paused briefly, "selfish I know".

"Not necessarily", Kat began, "Aimi's found herself a guy she really likes but she isn't going to forget about you". Kat looked at the waitress and suddenly the real reason for her mood hit her, "She isn't going to leave you behind like you Mom did".

Cassie nearly dropped the glass she was holding, somehow Kat had hit the nail on the head. "I'm that transparent", she asked the Australian and Kat nodded in response, "this may sound strange but I almost wish Aimi was my Mom. I know that would be creepy since she's only 12 years older than me but she wouldn't leave the country on business and then stay out there indefinitely". Cassie slammed the glass down on the counter making Kat jump, "Sorry I get angry sometimes when I think about it".

Kat smiled warmly, "It's ok you just startled me a little. I can't pretend to know what you feel but look at it this way, with Xander moving in it's only going to extend your little family further".

The waitress thought about that for a moment, "You know what, you're right".

"Happens a lot", Kat smiled, "and maybe talk with Aimi about your Mom, maybe she'll be able to help you with those feelings".

Cassie snorted, "I think parents leaving their kids behind must run in our family", she replied, remembering how her grandparents had sent Aimi and her Mom to America years ago, "but that's another story. Thanks Kat you've been a great help, maybe we should hang out sometime get to know each other better".

"Yeah I'd like that", she replied.

"We could talk about our shared love of the colour pink", Cassie replied as she tugged at Kat's pink blouse, "seriously I don't think you wear any other colour".

"I could say the same about you", Kat laughed as she pointed at Cassie's pink tank top.

The two girls were laughing when Tommy skidded back into the room. He looked at Kat and pointed at his wrist, "Sorry Cassie looks like we've got to go", Kat said as she jumped down from the stool, "hope it gets busier soon".

Cassie sighed as she watched the pair leave, "Great, now how am I going to entertain myself".

Kat caught up with Tommy outside the Youth Center, "Did Zordon call?"

Tommy nodded, "Two new robots are attacking down by the beach, seem to think they're in charge of the Machine Empire now".

"Great just what we need", Kat sighed, "let's go put those pretenders in their place".

"It's morphin' time"

"Zeo Ranger I Pink"

"Zeo Ranger V Red"

_Angel Grove Lake_

When Tommy and Kat landed at the beach, the others were already engaged in battle. As Zordon had advised there were two robots attacking this time, one male and one female. The male robot had a green upper body and silver legs. His shoulders were shaped into small wings and he had a three pointed hat on his head. The female was mostly pink with white accents. Her hair was styled into a bob and the pattern around her forehead gave the impression of a headband.

Tommy moved himself into the front of the other rangers, "Alright who've we got this time?" he asked the others.

"Not sure", Adam replied, "claims to be Mondo's other son and his wife".

"How dare you speak about me like that peasant", the male bot began, "I am Prince Gasket, the first built son of King Mondo and this is my lovely wife Princess Archerina. We're here to put you rangers back in your place and restore the glory of the Machine Empire"

"You talk too much", Jason called out, "Time for a gold rush", the top of the gold rangers staff snapped open and golden energy balls flew out the top. They were on target, however, Gasket and Archerina moved out the way and turned themselves into beams of energy. They streaked through the rangers and knocked them to the ground. The villainous couple skidded to a halt and admired their handiwork.

"Ok so they pack a punch", Rocky coughed as she clawed his way to his feet.

"Let's split up", Tommy suggested, "the boys will take Gasket and the girls will take Archerina".

"Nothing like a bit of girl on girl right Tanya", Kat joked.

"Sounds like my kind of afternoon", Rocky laughed as charged towards Gasket with Jason, Adam and Tommy close behind. They all called upon their special weapons and tried to attack Gasket simultaneously. The robotic prince called upon a giant sword and batted them away with ease.

"You fools wish to challenge me", Gasket laughed, "you don't know who you're dealing with".

"Believe me buddy we've faced scarier looking things than you", Rocky replied as he swiped at Gasket with his Power Axes.

"If you're talking about my father then he was nothing compared to me", Gasket boasted as he knocked the blue ranger to the ground. "His opinion of his fighting skills was as overinflated as his waistline".

"Not a fan of your Dad then", Adam asked as he tried to attack with his Power Hatchets. Gasket though caught the blades between his hands and pushed the green ranger away with ease.

"That fool dared to exile me for choosing to marry for love", Gasket raged, "said I would never take over the throne, looks like I got the last laugh".

Before Gasket could continue he was struck by a blow from behind that knocked him to the ground. He turned around and saw the gold ranger standing over him with his golden staff in hand, "Yeah you definitely talk too much", Jason stated.

Over with the girls Tanya was trying to dodge out the way of Archerina's energy arrows. The princess took aim at the yellow ranger but was just wide of the mark. The arrow exploded against the ground, leaving a significant crater, "Wow I really need to avoid those arrows", Tanya said to herself.

"Give it up yellow ranger", Archerina called out, "could can't possibly defeat me by yourself".

"Wasn't planning to", Tanya smiled under her helmet as Kat jumped into the battle. Archerina was startled and fired off a quick shot at the pink ranger. Kat summoned her Power Disk and deflected the arrow away. Archerina fired again but the pink ranger flicked the arrow away with ease and began to charge at the princess. Archerina tried to load another arrow but she was too slow. Kat swung the disk across her face and knocked the princess to the ground.

Archerina was temporarily stunned by the blow and it took a while for her to regain her footing. She felt her cheek and was shocked to feel a huge chunk of metal missing. The blow from the power disk had sliced a horizontal groove in her right cheek.

She dropped her bow and screamed loudly, drawing the attention of Prince Gasket, "Archerina!" he called out, completely forgetting about his fight with the male rangers. He touched her cheek tenderly, "What have they done to you?" He turned to face the rangers and his eyes shone red, "You will pay dearly for this". He charged up his sword and threw a powerful energy bolt at the rangers. The teens were struck with the full force of Gasket's fury and they were thrown several feet across the beach, demorphing in the process.

Gasket turned his back to the rangers and took hold of his wife, teleporting them away to safety. The rangers struggled to sit up after Gasket's attack, all of their bones felt like they were on fire, "Ok so that guy's strong", Rocky choked out.

"Is everyone alright", Tommy asked the others, he clutched his ribs and was in some pain.

"Oh yeah just peachy bro", Jason replied sarcastically.

"See your sense of humour wasn't damaged Jase", Tanya weezed.

"Come on let's get back to the Command Center so Alpha can patch us up", Tommy said to the other rangers. Without getting to their feet, they hit the teleport button and disappeared into the sky.

_Power Chamber_

Back at base Alpha had worked wonders on the teens. Although they were still a little stiff most of the major aches and pains had disappeared. The only major injuries were severely bruised ribs for Tommy and a sprained wrist for Adam. When Alpha had given them a clean bill of health, the rangers gathered in front of Zordon's energy tube for a debriefing, "So how come we've never heard of Gasket and Archerina before?" Adam asked as he adjusted the support on his wrist.

"Years ago King Mondo exiled Gasket after he fell in love with Archerina", Zordon began. "Archerina's father and King Mondo did not get along and Mondo forbid Gasket from seeing her. The prince refused and the pair ran away together, they have been in exile ever since".

"That would be a sweet love story if they hadn't tried to kill us", Rocky joked before turning serious, "they pack a lot of fire power between them".

"Indeed they do", Zordon replied, "my knowledge of their activities are limited but I believe that they have been training with the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy. You will all have to be careful the next time you face them in battle", he then addressed the pink ranger specifically, "especially you Katherine".

"Yeah I did leave a bit of a dent in Archerina", Kat joked.

"This is no laughing matter Katherine", Zordon began, "causing a visible injury to a member of the Royal House of Gadgetry is a serious crime to the Machine Empire".

"Can't they just panel beat her head back into shape?" Kat asked.

"Unfortunately the chassis of royal family is made out of a special material only found in one part of the galaxy", Alpha began. "When Gasket married Archerina he converted her chassis to match that of a royal princess. It would take too long to ship replacement materials to the Moon".

"I fear that you will targeted for retribution", Zordon added.

Kat sighed, "Great it was psychopathic ninjas last year, now crazy vengeance droids".

"Don't worry Kat, we've got your back", Tommy replied and the other rangers nodded in agreement. A new player had entered the playing field, all they could do now is wait for Prince Gasket to make his next move and hope they were ready for him.

_**A/N – **__The prince has arrived and he's really unhappy, especially now the rangers have scarred Archerina. I've now finished writing this story and began planning story four. I will say this, someone on the rangers side who was in this chapter will not make it to the next story. That upcoming chapter was hard to write and I'm not sure how popular my decision will be. Guess I'll find out in six chapters time. _


	26. Dance of Death

_Chapter 26 – Dance of Death_

_March 25 1997 - Angel Grove Dance Academy_

Inside a small dance studio, a lone figure was practicing her ballet. Dressed in a simple black leotard, her long blonde hair was swept back with a pink headband. She gracefully pirouetted through a number of turns before leaping high into the air. The dancer moved through one last turn before striking a final pose. She breathed heavily as she held her arms high above her head. She tilted her head slightly as the sound of applause echoed through the empty studio. A short woman with greying brown hair approached the girl, she was also wearing a black leotard. "Bravo, bravo", she called out in with a heavy Russian accent, "you are the most graceful dancer I have seen Katherine".

Kat smiled in response, "Thank you Miss Romanov, I've had a very good teacher".

"You flatter me", her teacher responded before sighing deeply, "I do wish you would reconsider the London auditions".

A couple of weeks ago Miss Romanov had told Kat that the London Ballet School were holding open auditions in Angel Grove at the end of the month. Successful applicants would start at the school the following September. Kat though had politely refused the offer, "I enjoy ballet but only as a hobby, I'm not sure I'd want to make it my career"

"But my dear you dance superbly and you are perfectly built for ballet", Miss Romanov replied as she gently placed her hands on Kat's cheeks. "Please at least think about it some more".

Kat smiled at her teacher before bidding her farewell. She went into the corner of the room and grabbed her gym bag to change her shoes. Truth be told Kat had already accepted an offer from Principle Kaplin for a student-teacher position at the High School. Teaching was something that the pink ranger had thought about doing ever since her hopes of a diving career had floundered. Whilst she enjoyed ballet, Kat knew that the average career of a ballerina was around ten to fifteen years. That was assuming she could graduate at the top of her class at the ballet school.

The pink ranger had always excelled at school, particularly at English and History. Teaching could provide her a stable career for the rest of her life. The only issue she could see in the immediate future was her relationship with Tommy. The red ranger was pursuing his racing career, at least for another year. Initially he would be racing around California but after school ended in June, he would be touring around the rest of the United States. It would be a conversation they would need to have in the coming weeks.

But for now she was going to enjoy the time she had with Tommy starting from today. They were due to meet in the park in a couple of hours for a date down by the lake. That gave her a bit of time to go home, take a shower and grab a change of clothes. As she stepped into the street the cool spring air hit her face and she instantly felt refreshed. Kat crossed the street went into the alley where her car was parked.

She opened the trunk of her car and placed her gym bag inside but as she closed the lid, the pink ranger was convinced she heard a noise. Initially she ignored it but then she heard the scraping noise again. Kat looked around her car and around the alley but couldn't find the source of the sound. Thinking she was hearing things Kat was about to jump into the drivers seat when she struck on the back of the head. As the pink ranger faded into unconsciousness, the last sound she heard was the maniacal laughter of a female robot.

_Angel Grove Youth Center_

The Youth Center was still experiencing a downturn in business but at least the classes were still popular. To try and encourage people back to the center, the instructors were offering a free one on one class. Today there were two sessions taking place at the same time. Adam was imparting some of his knowledge onto the new Angel Grove High soccer captain Carlos. At the same time Cassie was instructing her friend and the high school's cheerleading captain Ashley. Both were good athletes in their own right but there were relatively inexperienced in martial arts.

"Alright Carlos you did well that time", Adam said as he helped his friend up.

"Still landed on my ass though", the Hispanic teen grumbled.

Adam chuckled, "Well I have been doing this much longer than you have. You've got the potential to be a good balanced fighter Carlos. You've got plenty of power but you're also light enough on your feet to get yourself out of trouble". After Carlos thanked him the pair then glanced over at the other mat where the girls were practicing. Adam was impressed with Ashley, she was using her cheerleading experience to flip her way out of trouble quickly. But Cassie wasn't a slouch either, just as Ashley flipped backwards again, she executed a hands free front somersault. Suddenly faced with Cassie right in front of her Ashley froze for a split second. This gave her instructor the opening she needed. One leg sweep later Ashley was flat on her back looking up at the lights.

"You've got the evasion part of self defence down", Cassie said to her friend as she stretched out her hand, "just need a little more attacking moves".

"Doesn't help when your teacher is one step below a super ninja", Ashley joked as she accepted the hand up from Cassie.

"Ashley's got a point", Adam began as he and Carlos approached the girls, "perhaps you and Carlos should spar against each other".

The two younger teens looked nervously at each other, "But she's a girl", Carlos began.

"Good observation skills Vallerte", Ashley shot back, "was it these that gave me away", she added as she pointed at her chest.

"Alright you two stop bickering", Cassie said to the pair. "Just because Ashley's a girl doesn't make it an unfair fight. A wise man once said that size matters not".

"I thought that was Yoda?" Adam chuckled.

Cassie rolled her eyes, "Whatever, now you two", she pointed to her friends, "get on that mat and put everything that we've taught you into practice".

The two rookies sighed and took up their positions opposite each other. They bowed and began their sparring match, "There's seems to be some tension between them", Adam said to Cassie.

"Yeah things have been a bit tense since they broke up", she replied. "All very mutual and they agreed to stay friends but they've probably got some issues to work out".

The match was very evenly matched, Ashley had a speed advantage over Carlos but was often overpowered by the much stronger teen. As their two instructors observed the bout, Tommy entered the Youth Center looking slightly flustered. He approached the mats and greeted the teens, "Hey guy have you seen Kat today?"

Adam shook his head, "Not today, I thought she was meeting you down by the beach".

"She didn't show up", Tommy sighed, "I'm worried that something's happened to her".

"Do you want us to help you look for her?" Carlos offered.

"I'll go help Tommy", Adam began before addressing Cassie directly, "do you mind finishing off the lesson?"

"No problem", she replied and she watched the two other teens leave the Youth Center.

"Do you get the impression they're up to something?" Ashley asked her friends, "I mean they always seem to disappear together".

"They don't seem the type to be involved in anything illegal", Carlos added.

"Whatever it is I'm sure they can handle it", Cassie said to the others, "now you two haven't finished your match". This was met with groans from the two teens, "Well if you won't talk about your issues with each other then maybe you can beat them out of each other".

"You're and evil girl Cassie Chan", Carlos complained.

Cassie smiled evilly, "I know".

_Forest on the edge of the city_

Kat groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. As she opened her eyes the light stung as they adjusted to the sudden influx of light. They almost hurt as much as her head, which was throbbing like anything. As she looked around slowly, she realised that she was surrounded by trees. Perhaps more alarmingly, she was ties to one of the largest trees in the forest. "Just fantastic", she grumbled under her breath.

"Ah I see our prisoner is awake", it was the same voice from earlier, just before she had been knocked out. Out from behind the cover of the trees stepped Archerina and a small fleet of cogs.

"Should have known it was you", Kat spat, "what's the matter, did you want another scar on your other cheek".

Archerina strode forward and slapped the pink ranger hard across the cheek. Kat could feel the bruise starting to form almost instantly, "There we almost match", the robot princess said with a cheerful voice.

Kat ignored the pain in her cheek and her head, she didn't want to let Archerina know that she had gotten to her, "I'm sure you didn't drag me all the way out into the forest to give me a slap".

"You're exactly right my dear", Archerina replied, "do you know the penalty for disfiguring royalty on my planet".

"Surprise me", Kat said dryly.

"An excruciating death", was Archerina's simple response. The princess walked up to a nearby tree stump where a number of weapons were positioned. Kat winced when she picked up what looked like a giant corkscrew, "Oh I'm going to enjoy disembowelling you with this", she said to the pink ranger with almost too much joy in her voice.

Kat struggled against her bonds but they were too tight to move, "You wouldn't be thinking of escaping would you? It'll be hard to get out of here without these". Archerina reached into a pouch on her back and produced Kat's communicator and zeonisers. Quite how the princess had been able to access her morphers would be a question for Billy, if she made it out of here alive.

Archerina grazed the tip of the corkscrew weapon against Kat's jaw line before turning her back to the pink ranger, "So powerless", she called out, "away from your friends, stuck out here in the woods with nothing to help you".

Kat was about to give up hope when something Archerina said grabbed her attention. Then it dawned on her, they were surrounded by trees and nature. After her brush with Sakura and the Nusiachi, she had been the recipient of the ninja's power. She had control over nature, plants and trees specifically. Her powers didn't come from a power coin like the other rangers so it shouldn't cause a severe energy drain. She was a little rusty but she might be able to come up with something to escape.

She closed her eyes in concentration, trying to remember some of the techniques that Sakura had implanted in her. Suddenly the ground rumbled and tree roots sprang into the air. The sharp ends of the roots pierced the chests of the cogs, immobilising them immediately.

"What is this?" Archerina yelled as she started slashing the tree roots.

Kat smiled as her plan was working. A smaller tree roots sliced through some of the ropes that held her against the tree, enough to free her right arm, "Hey Archerina", Kat called out. The princess stopped attacking the trees and faced the pink ranger, "Surprise", Kat continued as she summoned some razor leaves into her hand. With a flick of her wrist the lethal projectiles flew at Archerina. The princess ducked but the cogs behind her weren't so lucky. The leaves sliced their heads clean off their bodies, like a hot knife through butter.

The pink ranger used the distraction to free herself from her bonds. Seeing the pouch with her morpher on Archerina's back, she leaped towards the robot princess. Sensing the attack Archerina ducked and Kat flew over her head. Rolling gracefully in midair, Kat landed on her feet beside the trunk with the weapons. Seeing Archerina's shocked expression, Kat just laughed, "Didn't you know that cats always land on their feet".

She picked up a sword and twirled it expertly in her hand. She had never been the best swordswoman but she had fully tapped into her ninja skills. She almost felt possessed with Sakura's spirit again as she attacked Archerina with the sword. The princess though wasn't a slouch with a blade either and blocked Kat's relentless attacks. Soon her superior robot strength and endless stamina began to overwhelm the pink ranger. "Give it up pinky", she taunted, "you're on your last legs".

Kat wanted to disagree but she was right, she was running on empty. Determined to go down fighting, she gripped her sword tightly and was about to attack again when five columns of light landed in front of her. "That's far enough Archerina", Jason called out at the princess.

"No one kidnaps my girlfriend and gets away with it", Tommy added.

Archerina laughed, "Oh we were just catching up, weren't we Katherine". She looked behind the rangers but was surprised to see that Kat wasn't there. Before she could speak a flash of smoke appeared from behind Archerina and she fell to the ground face first. Where the princess had been standing now stood Kat. Her pose suggested that she had bashed Archerina in the back of the head with the hilt of her sword.

"That's pay back for earlier", she smirked and rested the sword on her right shoulder.

The other rangers were slightly surprised by the pink rangers mannerisms. The last time they had seen her act like this, she was fully under the Nusiachi influence. "Erm Kat honey", Tanya began, "are you feeling ok".

Almost instantly Kat blinked her eyes and her shoulders relaxed. She glanced over at the sword and the cocky way she was holding the weapon. She slowly dropped her arm to her side, "Sorry guys not sure what came over me there".

"I think there's still a little bit of Sakura in you somewhere", Jason began, "it's her ninja fighting style after all".

"I thought it was kinda hot", Tommy smirked under his helmet, causing Kat to blush a deep shade of red.

"Ok on that smutty note", Rocky said as he stepped forward toward Archerina, "never thought I'd be the mature one". He reached into the pouch on her back and pulled out Kat's communicator and morpher.

The pink ranger smiled and strapped the devices back to her wrists, "Alright let's get out of here, I seriously need a shower". She looked down at the weapon in her hands, "Can I keep the sword?"

"Only if you still have that grey dress", Tommy called out before he had time to think.

"Dude seriously", Rocky cried, "mind, gutter, get it out of there", the others nodded in agreement with the blue ranger.

"It's fine guys", Kat said to the others. As she walked past Tommy she whispered in his ear, "Wouldn't you like to know". With an extra swagger in her step she joined up with the other rangers. Previously Kat thought the Nusiachi possession had been the worst thing to happen to her. But looking back from where she was now, it had all worked out for the best. It had given her the ability to defend herself and also led to her career as a ranger. Most importantly it gave her more confidence to flirt with her boyfriend. With one final sultry smile at the red ranger, she and the others teleported back to the Power Chamber.

_**A/N – **__A little focus on the pink ranger this time and also gave me an opportunity to bust out her ninja powers again. As explained in the chapter they didn't come from a power coin so she can tap into them much easier than the other former ninja rangers. Only six chapters to go now, the next one will focus on the "Turbo teens" and will almost give a little preview of what's to come. After that we're into the final battle with Gasket. _


	27. Heroes Of Our Time

_Chapter 27 – Heroes Of Our Time_

_April 8 1997 – Angel Grove Youth Center_

"Alright guys just drop it in the corner over there", Aimi said to the helpers she had roped into the center early on a Saturday morning. In the hands of the five teens was a large crate covered by a green tarpaulin. The crate was around waist high and roughly rectangular in shape. It was being squeezed into an area of the building where two other arcade machines had recently been. Unfortunately her usual teens helpers were unavailable today, something to do with Tommy being abducted by a gasket or by someone called Gasket. If Aimi was honest she wasn't really paying attention. So she had roped Cassie into helping along with her four friends Carlos, Charlotte, Ashley and TJ.

"Couldn't this thing have come on wheels?" Ashley asked.

"The FedEx guy didn't have a trolley big enough, apparently", Aimi replied as she checked through the invoice.

"And the big burly delivery man couldn't have stay to help", Cassie said sarcastically. The five teens slowly inched the heavy crate into the corner of the room before letting the crate drop to the ground.

"Careful with that", Aimi cried, "I've only got this thing on loan".

"What the hell is it?" Carlos asked as he tried to peak under the cover, in response Aimi slapped his hand away. She took hold of the green tarp and pulled it off the crate. The teens were slightly disappointed to see that the crate was completely unmarked. Aimi grabbed a crow bar off a nearby table and prised the box open. Inside was something that looked like an air hockey table, except at either end was a joy stick and a few buttons.

TJ whistled, "This looks really expensive".

"Probably is", Aimi replied as she pulled another panel off the crate, "the insurance costs for this thing were extortionate".

When all the panels were off the crate everyone finally got a chance to take a good look at the machine. The top of the arcade game was black with green hatch markings. The sides of the machine were streaked with five different colours red, green, blue, yellow and pink. As most of the group looked at the top of the device Charlotte knelt down on the longest side. It had a coin slot on the side and the name of the game printed in bold letters. Charlotte ran her hand over the name, "Power Rangers Turbo?" she said out loud, "never heard of it".

"It's still in development", Aimi replied, "according to the blurb it's a combat based game like Street Fighter but much more realistic". She then turned to her niece, "Hey Cass plug it in".

Cassie found the plug and inserted it into the socket. The game hummed into life and a central screen slowly began to rise out of the machine. On the screen images of five different vehicles flashed across the television. The cars matched the five different ranger colours, "Aimi you know how you're our favourite juice bar owner", TJ said before fluttering his eyelids dramatically.

Aimi smiled, "Yes TJ the five of you can have the first turn, think of it as a reward for dragging it into the building".

The teens cheered in celebration before rummaging in their pockets for as many quarters as they could find. "Alright let's see what this thing can do", TJ stated as he inserted a coin into the game. The machine gave a choice of five different rangers to choose from. The suits were different in design from any previously seen. The coloured suits had thin black lines running across the chest and legs. In the middle of the suits was a yellow and black square with a further yellow patch under the chin. The gloves and boots were white and the designs on the helmets gave the impression of car headlights.

"Cool designs", Ashley began before noticing some text on the screen, "it says this game is for two players".

"I'll take on TJ", Charlotte said as she approached the controls opposite TJ. She took off her open blue plaid shirt and hung it over the back of a chair, leaving her in a white strappy top. Her friends were pleased to see that she was becoming more confident, the Charlotte of a year ago never would have volunteered like that.

"Are you sure Charlie", TJ began, "I hear that I'm quite the opponent".

Charlotte smirked, "Bring it on Theodore", their friends jeered at the use of TJ's full first name. TJ selected the red ranger and Charlotte took the blue ranger. When the game signalled the beginning of the bout both competitors left loose. Using the joystick to move their chosen ranger and the buttons to perform a series of complex martial arts moves, the fight was intense. Perhaps a little too intense as the pair were taking the game very seriously.

After several minutes the bout ended with TJ's red ranger the winner. The friends congratulated TJ and commiserated with Charlotte, "I told you man you should have used that outside crescent kick on Charlie", Carlos said to TJ.

TJ though just looked blankly at his friend, "When did you say that?"

"During the game, didn't you hear me?" Carlos asked.

The African American teen shook his head in response. Cassie then looked at Carlos in confusion, "Since when do you know what an outside crescent kick is?" she asked, "you've had two lessons with Adam"

Carlos was about to answer but he stopped himself, he couldn't recall where he had picked up that term from, "I dunno maybe Adam or one of his friends mentioned it".

"That is one intense game though", Charlotte said as she took a seat, "I feel like I've done a full workout".

"Well I'll take your place", Ashley called out, "I saw in the options that you could drive a megazord".

The teens played right up until opening time when Aimi had to prise them away from the game so some of her paying customers could have a go. The group grabbed a table and the bar manager gave them a free round of drinks. As they sat around and started chatting, the conversation soon turned to Ashley and Carlos' former relationship, "It's good to see that you two are getting on better", TJ commented as he took a swig of his shake.

"Well Carlos has been my best friend since kindergarten", Ashley began, "it just felt too weird, like I was making out with my brother", next to her Carlos nodded in agreement. The group of friends has slowly come together over the years. In third grade TJ's family had moved to the city from Washington state and he quickly became friends with Ashley and Carlos. Cassie was next to join when she moved into California with her Mom in the seventh grade. Charlotte was the last member of the group when her Dad and brother Justin moved during the middle of the eighth grade. Since then you couldn't separate them, usually one of them was doing something with one of the others.

"Well I see mine and Adam's plan to get you to spar together worked", Cassie smiled.

"Yes it was a very good plan", Carlos replied, "now talking of relationships, shall we talk about the looks you and TJ keep giving each other", he added with a smirk. TJ responded by throwing his straw at the Hispanic teen whilst Cassie just blushed a bright shade of red.

Before they could tease Cassie and TJ any further, the sound of screaming rang out through the Youth Center. Immediately the teens and Aimi's attention turned to the car park of the center where the screams had come from, "Alright everyone stay in your seats", she called out, "nothing to..." but her voice trailed off when she saw Cassie and her friends charging out the building.

"Great a couple of hours playing as Power Rangers and they think they're heroes", she grumbled to herself. She ran out the door after them but stopped at a storage cupboard first. Pulling the handle off a broom she figured that it could be used like a bow staff.

When Aimi arrived in the car park she saw about a dozen cogs terrorising a couple in the car park. She then saw TJ lead in friends towards the cogs, "If he gets any of them hurt, I'll kill him myself", she muttered.

"Hey you lot", TJ called out, grabbing the cogs attention, "I think that's far enough".

Aimi was about to step in, she knew that Cassie could handle herself but as far as she was aware none of the others had any serious martial arts training. That's why she was surprised when she saw TJ take the head off a cog with a perfect spin kick. She was equally surprised when Ashley and Carlos double teamed to take out four other cogs simultaneously. "What the hell's going on" she whispered. She noticed Cassie retrieve a fallen tree branch and spin it between her hands. Her niece made be an excellent hand to hand fighter but she was still learning the art of the bow staff. Aimi had given her a lesson a couple of days ago and she was nowhere near as competent as she was now.

Even skinny little Charlotte was working over the cogs with ease. Last Aimi heard Charlotte's idea of a workout was thrashing out a few beats on her drum kit. She didn't have an athletic bone in her body but she had just immobilised a cog with a perfect head scissors. Something seriously weird was happening.

Suddenly she became aware that she wasn't alone. She turned and brought her bow staff/broom handle up into an attacking position. Fortunately before she could attack she saw the familiar figures of the power rangers. Tommy wasn't with them so Jason took his place as the head of the group, "Geez that's some welcome", he said to the bar manager.

Aimi dropped the weapon to her side, "Sorry you surprised me, I assume that you rescued Tommy".

"Yeah he's resting back at the Power Chamber", Kat replied. She looked over Aimi's shoulders and caught sight of the cogs, "looks like we're not needed".

"Yeah I know you're a good teacher Adam but I didn't think you were that good", Aimi said as she saw Carlos decapitate a cog with an outside crescent kick.

"I've not taught any of them those moves", the green ranger mumbled.

"Well they've become martial arts masters from somewhere", Rocky began, "even drummer girl is getting in on the act", he added pointing at Charlotte.

The group watched as the final cog was defeated and the five teens struck a pose. Almost as soon as they did that they looked at each other, almost confused by what they had done. "Perhaps I should go talk to them".

"I'll go", Jason began as he placed his hand on Aimi's shoulder, "they're more likely to listen to a ranger. Plus I can try and get some information out of them. Once you've finished here report to the Power Chamber, I'm sure Zordon will want to hear about this". He then addressed the other four rangers, "You lot can get back as well, make sure Tommy's ok".

As the four rangers teleported away, they failed to notice a delivery truck parked on the other side of the road. From the passengers seat Angela Fairweather smiled as she put down the pair of binoculars she was holding. She picked up a dictaphone from the dashboard of the car and pushed the record button, "Test one of Project Turbo has been successful, I will return to base to analyse the data from the arcade game". She put the recording device down and instructed the driver to move out. The engine on the truck started and it slowly pulled away from the Youth Center.

_Power Chamber_

Later that day Aimi arrived in the Power Chamber and checked up on Tommy. He had been kidnapped and brainwashed by Prince Gasket but his fellow rangers had been able to save him. It had been a traumatising experience but Alpha had assured her that the red ranger would recover quickly.

Whilst Tommy rested up in the medical bay, Jason had recalled the conversation he had with TJ and the others after the cog fight. None of the teens, other than Cassie, seemed to have any idea where those advanced martial arts moves had come from. They all said that it felt like they were moving on autopilot. Jason had thanked them for their assistance but advised the group to leave the fighting to the professionals.

Aimi then told the rangers and Zordon that a delivery company had come back for the Power Rangers arcade game within an hour of the cog attack. No explanation was given other than that the designers of the game had issued a product recall on all test versions of the game. All of this had Billy very worried, "I wish I'd gotten a chance to investigate that game, something doesn't sound right".

"Where did you get the game from?" Kat asked Aimi.

"I got a phone call from a software company about a week ago", she began, "said they had a new game they wanted trialling. As the customers of the Youth Center matched their target market they asked if they could install one". She sighed loudly, "I had Xander run a quick check on the company, they seemed legit. I wish that I'd looked into them further".

"This isn't your fault Aimi", Zordon began, "as far as I can tell no permanent has been done to your niece or her friends".

"But they could have been hurt", Aimi replied, "it was like they were possessed or something".

"Ever heard of anything like this?" Jason asked Billy.

"Only a rumour", the technical genius began, "there's a professor that specialises in virtual reality. Rumour has it that he once created realistic combat simulators and can implant knowledge instantly into a subject in the same way".

"Reckon he could be responsible?" Tanya asked.

Billy shook his head, "He disappeared years ago, so I doubt it".

"But could someone develop something similar?" the yellow ranger countered.

Bill ysighed and pondered the question, "Potentially but without analysing the machine I wouldn't know where to begin".

"So we're back to square one", Rocky cried.

"Do not devote too much of your time to this rangers", Zordon began, "Alpha and I will investigate this further and will report back if we find anything sinister". Everyone in the room nodded and were relieved that Zordon would look into this for them. Whoever had created that arcade game clearly had the means to pass on combat knowledge to inexperience combatants. It had worked out alright today but next time they might not be so lucky. There was another question though, a slightly more troubling one. What if the designers of that game had a more evil purpose in mind?

_**A/N – **__Ok so I realise this chapter will raise a number of questions about the next story in the series. Most will be answers in the first few chapters of story 4 but I'll try and answer a couple of potential questions now. Yes the five teens featured in this chapter will be the Turbo rangers, so yes we will have a female blue ranger. Don't despair Justin fans he will still feature prominently, just in a different role. _

_Will the agency and Miss Fairweather create the Turbo powers? No, she has come up with the idea but needs some help. The video game implants skills into someone using coding images, this will become important later. I reckon this story will be finished in a couple of weeks so story 4 will be up not much longer after that, so not long to wait. If you have any questions then feel free to PM me. _


	28. Fall To Pieces

_Chapter 28 – Fall to Pieces_

_April 24 1997 – Power Chamber_

Everything had settled into a routine for the rangers over the last few weeks. Prince Gasket and Archerina had proven no more competent than King Mondo at creating monsters. Almost every day one would be sent to Earth, only for the rangers to comfortably defeat it. Everything was pointing towards a prolonged stalemate between both sides. Alpha 5 shuffled between the different consoles in the Power Chamber, carefully monitoring the rangers and their zords. Whilst the robot enjoyed the company of Billy and occasionally Trini, he did like conducting the monitoring by himself.

For such a long time it had been just himself and Zordon, ever since Alpha 4 had been decommissioned a few centuries ago. Like all robots from the Alpha series they came with a default personality but once activated, the experiences of the individual machine would evolve over time. Due to the long periods in isolation, it meant that Alpha was very capable of operating by himself. When the rangers were called a few years ago, his personality began to change. The notion of friendship was introduced, due to their similar traits Alpha classed Billy as his best friend. Due to his kinship with the former blue ranger, Alpha hadn't called him to the Power Chamber. He knew that Billy was on a date with Trini in the city and didn't want to disturb them. Some to do with the 'Bro Code' that Rocky had told him about.

There was nothing to suggest that this battle would be any different from the others. So far the Ultrazord hadn't been needed, the Zeo Megazord was handling the monster very well on its own. Suddenly Alpha spun around as the sound of teleportation echoed through the Power Chamber. When the grey beam of light had cleared, Billy stepped towards him, "Alpha why didn't you tell me there was an attack".

"Oh I'm sorry Billy", Alpha replied, "but I thought you could do with a break".

Billy sighed as he couldn't fault the robot's logic, he had been putting in long hours at the chamber, "Don't worry about it Alpha, I was just surprised when the Zeo Megazord appeared over the city". He scanned over the computer quickly, more out of habit than anything. When he noticed nothing out of the ordinary he turned back to Alpha, "Any luck with our project?" he asked.

Alpha shook his head, "Not yet, I've eliminated that virtual reality professor as he's been missing for several years. Nothing suggests this was the work of the Machine Empire or any other villains we've come across". Alpha then reached under the computer and gave Billy a few sheets of paper, "I did work out how it was done though".

Billy shuffled the pieces of papers and studied them carefully. After a few minutes gave his response, "Of course encoded images, why didn't I think of that before".

"Someone programmed the game to transmit knowledge directly into the human brain", Alpha replied. "Based on information you've been able to gather the effects were only temporary".

"Yeah Adam said that Carlos has returned to his normal skill level", Billy began, "I've noticed nothing out of the ordinary with the others either". As Billy looked at the data again, another thought came to him, "Could someone use this to program anybody".

"Probably not", Alpha responded, "Zordon has conducted some research in this field in the past. Only a small percentage of the human population have the mental capacity to accept this kind of programming".

"So this was a test program?" Billy interrupted.

Alpha nodded, "Most likely, although I'm not sure for what purpose".

Before either of them could speculate any further, several alarms started going off in the Power Chamber. Initially they were confused as it wasn't the usual attack alarm. A quick glance at the main computer gave them the answer, "The rangers medical alarms", Billy said as he pushed a few buttons, "I've seen nothing to suggest they're in any trouble".

Alpha began furiously typing away on the computer, "I don't understand, the computer states a sudden loss of consciousness in all the rangers".

"All of them", Billy exclaimed, "that's impossible".

"Well everyone except Jason", Alpha continued. They couldn't understand what had caused this, the current images showed the Zeo Megazord upright and undamaged. A quick replay of the last minute didn't show any obvious attack.

"Jason to the Power Chamber", they heard the gold ranger call out through the radio, "the Zeo Megazord's unresponsive and I can't reach the others on the radio".

"Jason this is Billy, we're not sure what's happening. Can you and Pyramidas finish off that monster".

"Should be able to, guess I haven't got much choice", Jason replied.

"Alright we'll try and do what we can from this end". Billy turned off the radio and turned his attention back to the computers, "We need to teleport the others directly to the medical bay".

Alpha nodded in agreement, "I'll do that straight away, without the rangers in the cockpit the Megazord will retreat automatically to the hangar". The robot pushed a few buttons and the computer confirmed that the rangers had safely arrived in the medical bay.

"I'll start running some tests", Alpha stated and he shuffled off to tend to the rangers.

A couple of hours later they were no closer to finding any answers. The technical geniuses were still running their tests and the five main rangers were still unconscious. In the main control room of the Power Chamber, Jason sat on the floor lend up again the wall. He had been able to cover for the others and defeated the monster as quickly as possible. Replaying the battle in his mind he couldn't remember any obvious signs that the others were in trouble. The Megazord hadn't been struck with any powerful blows and no distress call had come over the radio. Initially he had tried to help in the medical bay but without any medical knowledge, Jason felt frustrated that he couldn't help. With nothing else to do he left everyone to it and retreated to the control room.

He remembered his own time in the medical bay after he had lost his red ranger powers. Then there was the time spent watching over Trini and Zack in the hospital. Finally there was the agonising time when Kim nearly died after her power coin was stolen. At least those incidents weren't unexplained, nothing could prepare him for his friends mysteriously blacking out.

"Thought I'd find you out here", he looked up and saw Trini standing over him. She knelt down and took a seat next to one of her oldest friends.

"Thought you'd be helping Billy and Alpha with the tests", he replied.

"There's only so much input I can give", Trini stated, "and I've done all I can to make them comfortable". Trini had undertaken a course in basic field medicine, just in case the rangers ever needed emergency first aid. Her own stay in hospital had made her appreciate doctors and nurses much more.

"I just wish there had been some warning", Jason began, "maybe I could've done something to help".

"Don't beat yourself up Jase", she replied, "Billy said there was no warning at all. I've looked at the telemetry myself and there's nothing abnormal, right up until the moment they all passed out".

Silence fell between the pair and for several minutes the only sound in the room was the gentle hum of the computers. "I'm worried", Jason finally said, "and nervous".

"So am I", Trini replied with a small voice, "and really scared". Jason opened his arms and pulled Trini into a one armed hug. They held each other for a few minutes until Billy and Alpha emerged from the medical bay. The former blue ranger had a very solemn expression on his face. Immediately the pair jumped up off the floor, "Please tell me it isn't bad news", Trini said.

"Well the good news is that they're going to be fine", Billy began before taking a deep breath.

"I take it there's some bad news", Jason asked.

Billy nodded, "I'm afraid so, Alpha and I have been able to trace the source of their mystery collapse", he paused for a few seconds, "it's the zeo crystal".

Jason and Trini looked confused, "I don't understand", the gold ranger began, "if it's the zro crystal, how come I wasn't affected?"

"It's all to do with the bonding process", Alpha began, "the crystal is an extremely powerful energy source and it grows more powerful the more it's used. It'll keep making the wielder of its power more powerful.."

Trini sighed and interrupted the robot, "I think I see where this is going. It's a little bit like a battery right? You can't keep charging a battery past its maximum capacitance, if you try to then you risk damaging the battery".

Catching onto Trini's train of thought Jason jumped in, "So you think the others have taken on as much of the zeo crystal's power as they can take".

"Precisely", Billy replied, "their bodies are beginning to reject the crystal. The reason you didn't black out was because you haven't been bonded with your crystal as long as they have".

The group stood in silence for a few moments before Trini asked the question they were all thinking about, "So how do we fix it?"

Billy sighed, "Short term we can tweak the zeonisers to limit some of the power of the zeo crystal but it's not a long term fix. The only solution we have is to unbond them from the zeo crystal or tell them not to morph. As long as the crystal is dominant it won't affect them".

"But what about the Machine Empire", Trini asked, "Jason can't fight them off by himself".

"We haven't come up with a solution to that yet", Alpha replied.

Jason's head dropped slightly as he tried to think of his own solution. If the power limiters would only work for so long, it made sense to get as much use out of their powers before they failed all together. "I think it's time", he said simply.

"Time for what?" Billy asked with a confused tone in his voice.

"The final battle", he replied, "put it this way, if you can't find a solution to the problem with the crystal then we're doomed anyway. Let's take the fight to Gasket before he has a chance to realise our weakness. Once everyone has recovered we throw the kitchen sink at him".

The others didn't know what to say initially, it certainly was a bold plan. It might go against one of Zordon's golden rules, never escalate a battle, but if they waited for Gasket to attack they could be out of power. If that happened the Earth would be open to a full scale invasion. Perhaps bending that rule could be overlooked for the good of humanity, "We'll have to discuss it with the others when they wake up", Billy replied, "but I think it could work. We'd need a few days to plan and prepare before we could begin".

"Alright until then we can make sure that we're all as prepared as possible", Jason said with conviction to the others. From the depths of despair a few minutes ago, suddenly everyone was re-energised. This time the Machine Empire would be defeated, once and for all.

_Machine Empire Palace_

Up on the Moon, Prince Gasket was troubled. He had observed the battle between the rangers and his latest creation. Everything had been going wrong for him when suddenly their Megazord had stopped functioning. If it hadn't been for that blasted gold ranger he could have destroyed the Megazord. But why had the giant robot stopped working? Surely it couldn't have been part of the rangers plan.

The sound of footsteps on the metal floor pulled the prince out of his thoughts as into the throne room stepped Klank. The chief footman of the throne and primary scientist had mostly been a failure in his role but he was still a good analyst. In addition he was fiercely loyal to the prince. "Sire I've analysed the data as you requested".

"Well Klank don't keep me waiting", Gasket said impatiently.

"There was a surge of energy in the morphing grid, far in excess of what a human can tolerate. My guess is that this surge caused the rangers to pass out". Gasket rubbed his mechanical chin in thought, wondering what could have caused this. "Begging your forgiveness Sire", Klank continued, "but I conducted some further research. The same type of surge has been occurring for the last few battles, gradually increasing intensity".

"Hmm interesting", Gasket replied, "you have done well Klank", the chief footman nodded in response. Gasket turned away from Klank and looked down to Earth. If the rangers were having issues with their powers this might be the opportunity they were looking for. "Tell me Klank, what do you think we need to do to capitalise on this?"

"In my humble opinion Sire", Klank paused briefly, "the surge grows in intensity the longer the rangers are morphed. I would suggest keep them fighting as long as possible, there would come a point when they can't fight any longer".

"Then that's what we shall do", Gasket replied, "prepare the fighters and cogs for battle".

"How many Sire?"

"All of them", Gasket replied to the shock of Klank.

"Are you sure that's wise Your Highness?"

"We need to overwhelm the rangers correct?" Klank nodded, "what better way to do then to send a seemingly endless wave of cogs. I want you to move the palace inside the Earth's atmosphere, I don't want any delay sending those fighters down".

"I'll do it at once Sire but it will take a few Earth days to make it happen", Klank replied.

"Then get moving Klank, there's not a moment to lose". Klank nodded and hurried out of the throne room. As Gasket gazed down at the planet below, he knew the time at come to show the Alliance what he was made of. Conquering the rangers and the Earth would raise his standing with Dark Specter. This would be the final roll of the dice for the battle scarred Empire, he could only hope that his major gamble would pay off.

_**A/N – **__The end game has begun and it's similar to the affects Jason felt towards the end of the series. I hope my explanation makes sense and everyone's looking forward to the three part grand finale. After re-reading the ending, I don't think anyone truly wins in the end. And on that cryptic note I'll see you next time. _


End file.
